Untitled
by AiDeeKay
Summary: Raechel moves to forget she ever had the perfect life with the perfect guy. She happens to stumble across vampires who happen to know her past, an insane ghost wanting retribution, and someone who liked her before she ever became so messed up...
1. New Beginning

Chapter One

New Beginning

If I stayed, what would have happened?

Would I have died, or would I have moved on?

There is was only one way to find out, but it's too late to test that theory. What if I fall? I fall here, at least no one would know. It's usual to go crazy in this new town. Here, one becomes crazy or becomes a very respectable person. There is no in between. An either/or situation. I had a good English teacher in my old school.

Maybe I want to go crazy. Why else would I come here? Not only is this new place affordable, but I can mend from a broken heart. That's why I moved here.

As I unpack my bags, I analyze my new room. The prior occupant had a good style, sort of emo. Even though I don't look it, I am one of the most emo people in the world. The movie Balto made me cry. I am pathetic. I can't see a cartoon without disgracing myself. Thank God I don't own _that_ movie.

I take out my books, smiling for the first time in days. My friend had accidentally kept my favorite copy of my favorite book. But it's ok. I have another copy. I see it, and almost laugh. Picturing Oliver smart-talking to Deanna always makes me laugh, but not today.

I unpack them slowly, putting Robin McKinley, Vivian Vande Velde and Stephenie Meyer nearby, ready for a nice adventure.

Those are my favorite books. I am a pathetic romantic comedy lover. I also like mystical adventures. The magic is almost believable in my head. They always have surprising twists, and Vande Velde and McKinley and Meyer are certainly no exception. But especially, because, well, my favorite of all mystical genres is vampirism. I think it would be cool to be a vampire. Living eternally, partying at night, emotions not really an issue…

My mom calls me for dinner, and I smell tamales.

_Yum_, _tamales_.

For a few minutes, I forget why I moved, why I have such horrible scars...Why I'm me.

"Stop that!" I screamed to my little brother, Lucas.

"Why should I? Huh? Porque?" he answers back.

"Porque te voy a dar un chingadasoque nunca te vas a olvidar!" I threaten him, knowing the old I'll-Kick-Your-Ass-If-You-Don't-Listen routing always worked. Oh yea, I'm bilingual, in case you didn't notice.

"Ma! Raechel esta usando malas palabras!"

Crap. My mother hates it when I say words like that. Says it doesn't sound right for a young lady to say those words. I heard my sister say worse words than me in front of my parents, and she only gets the gasp treatment. Fair upbringings. Right.

After I wash my plates, I go back to my room. I get a weird intuitive feeling. I turn around to face the stairs, but no one is there. I get a little freaked out. I believe in ghosts. I also believe in dwarfs, the devil, vampires, ware wolves, even the Bloody Mary.

Back at home, I was in a band called The Bloody Marys...

_Back_ _at_ _home_...

_This_ _is_ _home_ _now_, I make myself think.

I continue unpacking, and strangely enough, our self-titled CD is on top, when I was positive I put it at the very bottom.

I put it in my new stereo and start listening while I unpack. I actually sang in that band. Actually, screamed and sang. People loved us because of that: two girls that actually used throat. Being in The Bloody Marys was the best thing that ever happened to me, except...

My favorite song comes up. I start singing, and my mom tells me to go to sleep, since I have school tomorrow. Hmm…gotta start practicing soon.

Great. I'm ditching _that_. No way will I make a fool of myself. I'll just call in sick for myself. I've been told I sound like my mother on the phone. Joy.

I go to sleep and dream of a new life where I actually like it here. I wake up laughing. _Great_. I'm already starting to go insane.

I suddenly hear a voice. It's calling out my name and telling me to go to school today.

I must be Schizophrenic or something.

What other crazy voice in my head might tell me to go to school? _School_. I _must_ be going crazy.

The rest of the night I kept dreaming of hearing voices, and they're calling out my name. I actually try to see who calls me out, when I've known all along I'm probably Schizophrenic - to an extent - from hearing and sometimes talking to voices.

By 6:00am, I am fully awake, waiting until 6:30 to call in sick, to impersonate my mother. By 6:28, I decide to call. I leave a formal message, saying that my daughter will be unable to go to school today because she fell ill yesterday and is still sick today, and to call for any questions.

By 9:00, I am outside, exploring the new city. Mainy isn't that bad. Sadly, I am spotted by other ditching students -tsk, tsk-. They immediately recognize me as a new face, so they approach me. They ask me where I came from.

"I came from Vista."

"Really? I heard it's a dump there," tells me the leader of the group.

"On the contrary, it's very beautiful, with exquisite architecture and an anti-bellicose society," I tell him, trying to scare him away with my "extensive" vocabulary.

"Is that so?" he asks, obviously not fazed by my big garble of words, which although did make sense, were only my last vocabulary list put into a whole sentence. Pretty good, eh?

"Yes," I say, suspiciously.

"I've heard many contradictory statements, and let me tell you, the locals here, if you please, are very pro-bellicose, so you should start to toughen up." Hmm…maybe he had the same list as me?

"I'm a calm person - generally. I advise you not to push it."

"You never know. Something could hurt you." He almost sounded like he cared, which almost made me change my attitude towards the group, but he said _something_, not _someone_. What did he mean by that? A butterfly?

"Do I look fragile to you?" I ask, frustratingly indignant.

"In local terms, yes. You say Vista is peaceful? Well, honestly, you look like the rebuttal to that statement. It'll take more than tough attitude to make it alive in _this_ town." Yea, he definitely had my vocabulary list.

Oh, the dramatic irony.

So much talk about life-threats and being hurt made me edgy. I am a strong young woman, a strong feminist. I could rant on and on, and never shut up about the injustices happening to the growingly accomplishing gender.

All his friends smile knowingly. I dislike the boy already.

His extravagant speech affected me in the least; at least, I tried to make it appear so.

I look at him, bored, "So you're saying I'm tough, but my quality isn't enough to survive this town, eh? What about the quality of 'easily entertained'?"

I regretted saying that even before the words came out my mouth, but their stares made me edgy.

They look at me bemusedly.

"Haha! You'll eat your words in less than a week," says the only girl in the group of four. They all seemed to agree. I had had enough. My next words were the most anti-anti-bellicose thing to come out next.

"I don't eat my words, I spit them out. My word is my word. Now move out of my way, or I'll move you. I have to get home before people begin to think I socialize with vocabulary list-using ditchers."

One boy looks at me curiously. What a handsome face, but the fact he even hung out with that other guy just made it impossible for me to see any good qualities in any of them.

"Where do you live?" he asks, ignoring my anti-anti-bellicose speech.

Knowing it's a small town, and everybody knows everybody's business, I say, "Los Angeles Drive."

For a nano-second, they look disconcerted. But only for a nano-second. I couldn't even be sure it was the right emotion.

The last boy in the group said, "We'll walk you home."

"Uh, that's not necessary. I need to develop some of a local resilience," I reply sarcastically.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he smirks at me.

I hate it when people smirk at me. Makes me feel stupid, abased. Another vocabulary list word.

Annoyed, I turn home.

"Did he strike a nerve?" asks the first boy.

Weird how I could be annoyed yet be able to talk to them. I never do that.

"Several of them actually."

He smirks too, "He's right you know. We'll walk you."

How authoritative.

"Hmm," I say.

I speed walk, but they easily keep in pace with me, a miracle. My speed walk is like a slow run. They didn't slowly run, they looked like they were merely strolling. That made me go faster, but they merely took longer steps, like me.

It got very quiet for a minute; the second, most quiet boy begins to ask me questions.

"So what brought you into Mainy?"

"I don't know. My parents wanted an affordable place." To my dismay, he smirks as well.

We are ahead of the other three, but I could feel their smirk, as if they were listening to me, as if they were merely right behind us.

I scowl, and the boy laughs.

"So what's your name?"

"Raechel."

"Nice to meet you Raechel. The name's Zacky."

"Nice to meet you too Zacky."

I like his name. It definitely fit his personality and style. I never thought someone could look that good. Mainy was already changing my taste in men. Oh joy.

"So why aren't you in school?" he asks.

"I should be asking the same question," I say with a determined face.

"Haha. We were bored of school. It's ok to ditch once in a while. When do you start school?" How ironic he was giving me a lesson in ditching, when I was ditching myself.

"Today," I say, not apologetic in any way.

He smiles. Wow. He seemed surprised though. I get defensive.

"There's more to me than meets the eye."

"Sorry, but that's true."

"I miss Vista," I say, open about my preference of house and boarding.

He smiles, and says, "Oh, by the way, don't pay Dustin any mind. He says that about any other city that isn't Mainy."

"Nice to know," I smile back at him.

He's so easy to talk to.

In like ten minutes, we get to my drive. They stop by the pole, offering to show me my classes tomorrow.

"Sure," I say, knowing that tomorrow would be better than today.

"Ok. Meet you here at 7:00?"

"Uh, Ok?" I had previously been exaggerating.

"Ok, bye," says Dustin, the leader of the group, but for some reason, I felt that they should be called a cult, but I didn't know why.

It's 7:30pm, and my parents found out I ditched.

The school actually called to verify. What a bitch.

I wasn't grounded, since they saw I made "friends." I previously told them I would turn into an anti-anthropist, so they were glad I was socializing.

I felt sorry for them to think that.

I feel that intuitive feeling again, and I turn around.

Again. Nothing. Oh well.

By 8:30, I fall asleep, a dreamless night for the first time since my life changed.


	2. Day One

Chapter Two

Day One

I woke up late. Crap.

I quickly took a shower and changed in record time. I have to get a note from my mom about how she was sorry I lied, and that she would call and verify the authenticity of that note. Great.

With only ten minutes to seven, I am ready to go. I dress in my most ridiculous clothes. It looked like I was trying too hard, and my sister Jazzmin made fun of me.

"Aha! You look like a loser!"

"Look who's talking wanna-be homita." Well, that made her shut up. I laugh and mentally add another tally against my sister.

By the time I get to the end of the street, only three people are there. It was Dustin, Zacky, and the other boy that I have yet to know his name.

"Hmm. Matt wondered if you would survive the night."

"You were talking about me?"

"Well, yes. You seem to be a person of great character, when in a good mood. Though I have yet to see that mood."

I laugh. An honest laugh. He was in my good side now. I guess. I don't know. I felt comfortable around them.

"So. You are Matt. Nice to finally get presented, eh?"

"If you live long enough," he said. Now that crept me out. But I wouldn't let him know that.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't your home seller tell you? Obviously not," he said before I had any chance to answer him, "some crazy guy killed himself there, and supposedly put a curse on the house. No one lasts a week before they decide to abandon the house, or 'accidentally' die."

I try to keep a composed face, because I have dreamt stuff like that before. Not in the house, but the night before I was to leave the hospital.

"Let me guess. This happened in the mid eighteen hundreds, and the guy is ancient?"

They stare at me, and though we have been walking pretty fast, they suddenly huddle around me, intensely interested, as though they haven't been before.

"How do you know?" asked Matt.

"Uhhh..." I didn't know what to say to that, so decided to say the truth. "I dreamt it. Why? Is that bad?" I ask, nervous.

"Well. I don't know. We haven't heard of anyone dreaming about a ghost. Have your parents complained about hearing things?" asks Zacky. How professional. How interested are they in ghost stuff?

"No. I'm the only one complaining. But my little brother seems to be a little nervous when he goes up by himself. He always asks me to go up with him."

Zacky looks at me weird. Well, not weird, but I get the feeling he's thinking about something that is not related to ghosts. More about real life, and more about what normal teen age boys would think about.

So, we had stopped, and when I look around, I see I'm in the rich part of town; houses bigger than Walgreens and Seven Eleven put together.

"Look Dustin, we're right in front of you house!" says Matt, and runs off to a nice car. My jaw drops open.

"You want a ride?" asks Dustin.

"What time does school start?" I ask.

"Seven thirty," he said, absentmindedly.

I look at my watch. Holy. Fuck. Seven twenty. And we were far from the school, by the looks of things. If it took us fifteen minutes to walk from my house to Dustin's, I wondered how early they left. For me. It made me feel weird. Almost special, but in no way cocky. But that was momentarily. The fact that school started while I was still at Dustin's freaked me out.

"What?" I started to turn, but Dustin turned me back.

"Calm down love. The seven twenty five is only the bell to tell us to go to class," he said, calmly.

I hyperventilate, and he laughs. Hard. I glare at him, and he pretends to make an attempt to stop laughing, but it only makes him laugh harder. I wanted to walk to school, but this fool has a strong grip, and try as I might, I hardly budged. I look at him, and it seemed as if he didn't notice me trying to move. Now what the fuck? How could he not notice?

By the time he stops laughing, he has tears in his eyes, and he takes me to his car. The others also look on the verge of laughing too, and all the while, I'm still freaking out about being late.

Once Dustin turned his car on, being late was the least of my worry. Now it was his driving. Lunatic driving that makes you wonder how it is he is still alive.

We get to school in no time. Three minutes, and we were in school. I picked up my schedule, and I pretty much have the same classes with the trio. Alright. They have the chance to make more fun of me. Today is just definitely not my day. If it keeps up tomorrow, then I won't even recognize myself. I am more assertive than this. What is wrong with me?

"Welcome to my class young lady," said the algebra teacher. Math? In the morning? God, why? "Please sit right here, miss…"  
"Raechel. Thank you." I sit next to someone that looks like he shouldn't be here. He should be at a higher level math, or maybe just out of math in general. He looked bored out of his mind.

"Well Con, looks like we have the pleasure of your company for today. What brought this on?" asks the teacher, as if she just noticed him. Now what the heck? He was there the whole time.

"Heard the new kid is in this class, and just had to see who it was," he said, matter-of-factly.

I was surprised at his extreme honesty, and apparently, so was the teacher.

"Well then, did you do the homew-"

"Yes," he said, exasperated. He pulls it out.

"Fine," snaps the teacher, and saunters off.

"You look like you're trying too hard," he tells me.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You. Are. Trying. Too. Hard. To. Make. A. Good. Statement. Don't bother, the professors don't even look at that."

"Great. Thanks for telling me now," I say, and put my head to the desk. If they weren't into the prep clothes equal smart and studious student, then I wasn't going to bother.

"You're welcome. Nice to meet you, by the way."

"Same here," I say more out of politeness than in honesty.

He looked like he was about to say something, but the bell rings. We all turn to pay attention to the teacher, and she begins with a lecture about exponential functions and whatnot. I studied this in my other school, and even though I didn't pay attention in that class, I knew the basics and didn't need another two hour lecture.

I start to think about what Dustin, Matt and Zacky -who were all sitting at the other side of the classroom and looking as bored as the guy next to me was- said, when the next thing I know, someone is nudging me. I turn to see who it is, and it's the Con guy.

"Wake up. Rise and shine," he says softly, deeply, entrancingly. I look up, and the teacher looks in our direction. I see a sheet of paper in front of me, and it has notes. Did I take them? It looks like my writing. It looks like my paper. It looks like my pencil wrote it, but it looked different to me. How to explain. It's like when you see someone you know, and say, they are an alien. You know the person sounds like your friend, acts like your friend, smells like your friend, but you know something is just not right. Maybe I can sleep write. That's a new one.

The teacher comes up, and looks at the sheet of notes, and walks off. Damn. She's a bitch. I hope next class isn't as bad.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," I smile at him.

"No problem. I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

"Raechel."  
"Ahh. My name is Constantine, but, please, call me Con."

What an old name. But I like it. But then again, I already liked several names here.

I look at the clock, and I look at my schedule. The bell rings at nine. One and a quater hours long. Wow. And ten more minutes to go.

"Um. Con. How long was I asleep?"

"Around forty five minutes."

Gah! What if I snored?

"You seemed to be mumbling something, and before the bitch noticed, I decided to wake you up."

"I see. Thanks again. You know, you look like someone who shouldn't be here. Like you've taken this class before."  
"You could say that. Or, you could say I'm just exceptionally good at math."

"Hmm. I don't know. No offense."

"No offense taken."

Zacky sits behind Con, and starts to talk to us. However, time still goes too slowly, and after an agonizing five minutes, I go to my next class.

The school is easy to understand, as long as you know your alphabet. Or even then, all you need to know is A through H. Eight different buildings, and each with their own department. For example, A is English, B is math, C is history, D is science, E is art, F is technology, G is the teacher's lounge, and H is the student's lounge. Or to be more precise, it is the honors student lounge. Sweet. Easy access.

My next class is biology, and I go with Zacky, since Matt and Dustin take Chemistry. This time, we get to sit next together. We debated about the meaning of life, and if that is not nerdy enough, next we talk about the meaning of death, and the consciousness of what death had, or lacked of.

"Raechel, you are one of the few people who actually think about this kind of stuff. Why is that, I wonder," he says, looking at me. I suddenly get shy.

"I don't know. I always wondered what it felt like to be dead, or what you would be seeing or not seeing when you were dead."

"I'm pretty sure you keep conscious, with special circumstances."

"Like what? Being a ghost? Or some other creature that we lowly humans wouldn't know of?"

He looks at me. And stares. His stare is heavy, and very hard to look at directly for a long period of time, to the point where I squint.

"Did I say something?" I ask, trying to break the tension.

He visibly jerks back to reality. "No. Just…the way you said it, is all."

I nod upwards, trying to figure out what he means, when the bell rings. Now. Algebra took forever, while Biology went by quickly. Next was English. In this class I was alone.

Or so I thought. Con was there again. And again, the teacher sits me next to him, but this teacher is nicer. She has me scoot closer to him, so that I can read along with the class. They were reading Shakespeare: Macbeth. Ha. We read it last year. I still have the hardly used copy.

In his book, Con had many notes, but upon reading them, they were lyrics of songs like Slipknot, or Pantera.

"You listen to these?" I whisper, excitedly.

"Yes. Who doesn't?" he asks.

"Everybody looks like they listen to Fifty Cent here."

"Eh. They probably do," he says back. He didn't whisper, he just talked softly, which made me want to speak softly, though I just kept whispering.

"Wow. Very open minded," I say sarcastically.

"I am open minded," he said defensively.

"Is Slipknot and Pantera all you listen to?"

"Yes," he said, cautiously.

"Then, you are not really open minded."

"I am. I just don't like Fifty Cent…or much rap for that matter."

"Aha," I chuckle. I've heard that one so many times before.

This period also went by fast. The bell rang, and the teacher assigned us to read the rest of Act One. Pshhh. I'll go to SparkNotes, thank you very much.

Lunch was actually an hour long. I listened to music, while everyone else around me talked loudly. Leslie, the girl who was with Dustin et al, was sitting next to me, though we weren't really talking much. I still didn't like her for what she said yesterday, since she made me crack.

I hurried to my multimedia class, which was where I really was alone. Only two more classes to go.

This class was by far the most fun. We could listen to music, the computers were top-notch, and the teacher is experienced. She actually helped design the program we were using to make all our projects. And boy, does she teach quickly and efficiently. I knew my way through her program by the end of the hour.

Next was French. Dustin was in this class. The others were taking Spanish. I was going to take Spanish, but the classes were full, and I already knew Spanish, so they wanted me to take a language I would be new to.

The teacher let me sit where ever I wanted, so I sat next to my buddy, and decided to get him back from making fun of me in the morning, though I didn't know exactly how yet.

"Bienvenu, mademoiselle," he said, in a perfect accent. His voice sounded weird, to the point of Disney, that I cracked up. Loud. This was not my idea of getting even, but his voice, and the way he reacted to my laughter made me laugh even harder. Of course, my laughter was quiet, but I was shaking from holding it in, that he looked at me.

"It's not funny," he said, angrily. Now I knew why he laughed at me harder in the morning. I had not been made fun of in a long time, so accustomed I was to making fun of others. Well. The old me was back. That made me calm down. I didn't want the old me back. I was going to change.

"Ok. Ok. We're even now," though we technically weren't.

We didn't really talk, but us cracking up at each other made our so-called friendship into a real one, which made me curse myself because my parents were right about me making friends.

The last period, history was a blur. I just remember Matt being in it. I fell asleep, and the teacher did not even notice. I went home, walking by myself, because I didn't really feel like meeting up with the people I had got to know pretty well today. They felt too unreal to be real.

I go to my room, and for once, I do not get the intuitive feeling. I did not need to.

When I opened my room, I saw the ghost that Dustin and Zacky and Matt were so interested about. A ghost I have seen before. A ghost I have seen in a dream. A ghost that looked intensely real.


	3. Crazy Meeting

Chapter Three

Crazy Meeting

I froze, looking at something that looked like it belonged here. _In_ my house. In _my_ room. In my _bed_. Oh hells no.

But then again, I was too frightened to tell it to just bugger off. This was not my brother, or my sister. This was the infamous ghost I have been hearing about, and even dreamed about. What. The. Fuck.

I don't think I blinked. I was too stunned to blink, and it looked like it might disappear if I blinked.

I jumped. The phone rang, and when I looked back to the ghost, it was still there. So, I blinked. And _then_ it disappeared.

Dazed, I went to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Raechel? You're home? I thought you had detention," said my mom.

Oh no! I completely forgot about detention.

"I did?" I tried to say innocently.

She sighed. "I'm not going to call in for you. You're in trouble already with us."

"Fine. I'll run back to school. God," and I hung up. Ghosts must make me moody.

I changed into more comfortable clothes and went downstairs and got myself a snack, and ran off to detention. It starts thirty minutes after school, so that way most people have to stay and wait, or can get a good snack. Usually that would exasperate me, but this time, I was infinitely grateful.

But as soon as I entered the detention room, I would have rather had Saturday School.

The whole room was literally filled with those people who think they are gangster, but are really just people who join a clique and say they are tough. Right away, if there was no one I knew, I would walk out. But I did not need to. I felt someone tug my shirt, and saw it was Dustin, with Zacky and Con. Awesome. People I knew.

No. Pathetic. Only one more person, and everyone I knew would be right there. I did not try to make any more contact with anyone else, and Con was only because he saved my ass from Ms. Bitch From Hell.

I sat next to Zacky, and just looked around.

"Please pull out something to do miss," said a security guard. Shit. I had nothing. What to do?

"You need a book or something?" asked Zacky.

"Please," I said. And he handed one to me. _Sammie Keyes and the Runaway Elf_. You have to be fucking kidding me, I thought.

He chuckled. "I still have some kid inside me," he said. Did I say my thoughts out loud? Hmm. I wonder if I did. How embarrassing if I did.

I open the book and start to read. I have an hour to figure out with Sammy who stole the doggy, and I was going to figure it out. Not forty-five minutes pass when the security is called.

Darn. More Sammie later.

"You got to be fucking kidding me," said Zacky, mocking me, it seemed.

"I have some kid in me," I said, determined to mock him back if that was what he was doing.

"I like your outfit," said Con. He was smiling. And I realized something. These dudes never smile. I mean, they do, but that is only when I do something stupid, or I can't figure out something someone stupid would. How is it that they perceive me?

"Thanks," I said suspiciously, "I took your advice."

"You gave someone fashion advice?" asked Dustin, amused. Amazing. What was going on?

"By no means. I told her to stop trying too hard," said Con. Wow. It sounded as if he was insulting me. Maybe I shouldn't talk to him anymore. Don't get me wrong. I could care less what people think of me, but these people made me feel that if _they_ didn't accept me for who I was, or just didn't bother to get to know me, then _no one_ would try to get to know me.

"Are you the new kid?" asked one of those wanna-be homies. He looked worse than my sister. He looked like his father was the gangster, and made him wear all those clothes. I wanted to laugh. But then I remembered being made fun of _my_ attire, and kept shut.

"Yes, I am." Decisive, eh?

"What are you doing with those faggots?" he asked, incredulous. Hmm. Maybe I wouldn't need their acceptance to receive others'.

"I wondered the same thing this entire day. I don't know. They seem to be the only people to not be interested in the fact that I'm the new kid." Well, that is true. No need to say either, that I liked their company.

The kid blushed. Oh. I look from one corner of my eye to the other. I give an upward nod for the second time today, and I hear someone snort. It was Zacky. Now I wonder how my expression must look like, and no doubt my eyes must have gotten bigger from the realization.

"Bugger off kid," he said.

Well. The faggot had done it. He insulted someone that no doubt belonged to a pretty popular clique.

"What the fuck you say ese?" he said. Ahaha. A paisa. God, how I hate those fools.

"He told you to get lost," said Con. Oh my. I began to have images of these two with impressive fighting skills. And the homito, well…bleeding in the sidewalk.

Dustin grabs me by the arm, and sits me next to him.

"Did you know the school and county officers consider us a gang?" he asked, making small talk.

"What? You guys? Don't joke," I said, knowing my stuff.

"Nope. It's true. We all hang out together, we all have at least one person we know in most of our classes together, and we all ditch together. And, I'm sorry to say, but you have been targeted by the cliques that say they're gangs."

He said it like I was going to get mad. But I didn't. I knew I should be mad, and no doubt that was the reason my mother said I was in trouble.

_We ditch together_. Well. I ditched school the same day they ditched. Check.

_We have classes together_; two with Con, two with Zacky, two with Dustin, and two with Matt. Double check. Ah. The parallelism.

I took everything in calmly. I nod, this time I bob my head into a nod.

"I see. I'm sorry to ask this, but…what is your reputation?"

"Eh, just that we're faggots because of the music we like, and the way we dress I guess. I have only fought out of school, and those people don't really come back for a week. Matt knows how to throw it down too, but hasn't had the chance to prove himself, which I think he will do today if the homies sign their death certificate. Zacky is usually a peaceful person, and to be honest, is almost always peaceful," he said. I knew he wasn't trying to boast. Some people just aren't like that. Even though I always have the impression he likes to boast, what Dustin said to me right now made me feel like he was telling me this so that I wouldn't be afraid. Afraid of what, I know not. But I had the feeling I was going to find out. He continues, "Why? What is _your_ reputation?"

I wasn't going there. "Never had the chance to prove myself, and don't really look forward to the day, if it were to come. As for my reputation: probably that I'm crazy."

"We could use crazy. Not that we don't already have enough."

And all the meanwhile, the guy who talked to me and a huge crew were right there, in front of Matt, Zacky, and Con. Three to, like, twenty. I did not like the odds. I got up, and waited for Dustin to get the hint, which he did immediately.

"Seems like your unfortunate day has come," he said, calmly.

"All good things come to an end, I suppose."

We walk towards the other guys, and I see Leslie, walking towards us. Amazing. She was going to get in it too. So, now it was six to twenty. I liked those odds.

But where did Leslie and Matt come from?

"Ey, girls can't fight," said one of the guys in the crowd.

"The hell we can,' said one of the girls in the crowd. Girls were going to fight for him too? Holy fuck. This was what my sister calls a "rumble." My adrenaline was never this high. Well, the guy looked like he wanted to say no, but that would only get rid of his girls, and I wasn't going to give in so easily.

"Fine. Our rules, got that faggots?"

I jump in. "We have no rules paisa." I was determined to say I was in the "gang" I had previously called cult. And it still felt like it was a cult. Why? I don't know. Maybe because they accepted me before they knew anything about me.

"Have it your way," he says, and pulls out a knife. _Le gasp_.

Who was going to start it? And in front of the security? I turn to see if the lone security is watching, but apparently, he was long gone.

"We only have an hour of detention and then he leads traffic," explains Matt. Oh. In that case…

One of the girls looks at me, and says, "I'll get rid of this annoying, crazy bitch" Oho. That got me mad. Infuriatingly mad. Beyond logical thinking. I knew some people thought I was crazy, but saying it to my face would just undoubtedly prove them right.

She comes up to me and slaps me.

And I crack. I punch her in the face and knee her in the stomach. I kick some person in the knee, and continue to knee the girl's face. All this while, the girl manages to scratch me, and pull some hair, but I've treated my hair worse before, so it hardly fazes me. She is knocked out _cold_. The person I kicked in the knee grabs my arm, and twists it. And this person is a _guy_. His twist hurts like a motherfucker. I don't scream, like I felt like doing, since I am a proud person. Instead I use my other hand to shove my palm to his face. I miss. I hit his cheek, so he grabs my other hand, and is about to twist _that_ one, when I hear him groan in pain, and collapse. Zacky had kicked him in the head, and looked like he had already kung-fued other people in the process.

"Are you ok—woah. Did you do that to that girl?" he asked, first worried, and then shocked.

I look at the girl, and see her nose is bleeding. Mad as I was, it gave me an intense satisfaction.

"Yes. She slapped me," I said, and continued, "thanks, by the way. You seriously have saved me from pain," I smile at him.

"No problem. Don't you think you overreacted?"

"_No_."

"Alright. Be careful. Some of those girls carry knives. Come to think of it," he says, and checks the girl. In her pocket is a pocket knife. He hands it to me, and says, "well, off to steal a guy from Con, looks like he's having too much fun."

So, he is a fighter. Were they all fighters? I look at Matt. No doubt. Poor guys. He beat up two in the time it takes someone else to beat one. I look at Dustin. No exaggeration. He knows his stuff. I look at Con. That guy is fierce. I look at Zacky. "Pieceful" alright. Many of them. I look at Leslie, and feel some respect towards her. She kicked, punched, kneed, and elbowed. For the ten seconds I saw her, she never pulled hair, or scratched, or slapped. All these people were hardcore. I was glad I bumped into them on my first day. Those twenty people got down to two guys and one girl.

And what was funny is that they begged them to leave them alone. Well, they begged Matt, Con, and Leslie. Zacky, Dustin, and I went to get our stuff, since I just got rid of the girl who called me "crazy bitch." I promise to never let anyone get the best of me, no matter the intentions.

"You were fierce," said Dustin.

"I could say the same about you," I said back, calmly. I did not need the knife, and put it back in the girl's pocket, since only three girls decided to stay and have fun. The others no doubt told them to call later and give the details. I went to check the girl out, and saw that her bleeding wouldn't stop. Her nose is too damn sensitive. I get one of the many shirts the guy that twisted my arm had, and put the shirt on the girl's nose, and tied it behind her head. She somehow only bled on herself, rather than on the floor. Hmm.

"Ready to go?" Dustin asks everyone.

"Yea," we all say.

Leslie and Con go walking home, since they live near the school, and Dustin gives me and the others a ride. First he drops off Matt, then Zacky, which I saw lived very near my house, just not the same street. Lastly, he drives up to my house. It was four, and I was dead tired.

"Hey, you came farther than yesterday," I said.

"Well, it's more that we were trying to scare you yesterday, but we failed. So, might as well stop something that will never happen, right?"

"I suppose. Thanks for the ride," I say, as I get out of his car.

"No problem. Tomorrow? Same time?" he says, conspiratorially. He wiggles his eyebrows.

I laugh. "Definitely. It was fun," I said. And I knew my mom was watching.

"Good night," he said, and drove off. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up killing himself one of these days.

I turn around, and sure enough, my mother is there, looking boggled. I was going to rile her up good.

"Who was _that_?" asked my mom, sounding like she was trying to get me giggly. Pshh. Like that would happen.

"A friend," I said, tired. Eight hours of school is tiring, even to someone who was used to it.

"Uh huh," she said, but dropped it.

"By the way, clean your room, you made it a mess again," she said.

_What_?

"It IS clean," I whined. I hate cleaning, but then again, who doesn't?

"Go. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes," she said.

I go upstairs, and see my room. Not bad, but bad enough that my CDs and clothes were all over the place. I stack the CDs up into an unorganized pile, and my clothes into the laundry basket, not caring to make sure if they were actually clean or not.

I see an open note, and quickly go to put it away. It was the last note from anyone in Vista, and that note was the last note I wanted to see right now, not when I was alone, and could cry if I wanted to.

I listened to my iPod, and started to think about what I did. I _did_ overreact, and I did overdo it. I felt like I always feel after I have done something bad. I listened to angry music. Music that would make me angry over again, and not have to face my dumb conscious that liked to bug me to no end nowadays.

Was I becoming some anti-sociopath? I doubted it, but the fact that I felt good seeing the girl so beat up made me think that I need help. And the people I was hanging out with were not people I should be hanging out with.

_That's stupid_. They are my friends, and stood up for me. Their superhero abilities made me glad that if they were really considered a gang, they fought like nobody's business.

I'm fucked up. I skipped dinner. Instead, I keep listening to music. I take a shower at eight, and go to sleep right after.

I don't remember if I dreamed anything of significance, but later, I saw that there was a black car parked right in front of my house, and that black car was not mine, was not my parents', or anyone I knew. But, I knew this car. It belonged to a Charles Biskoff. And my house looked different. It was one story, and the kitchen looked like it needed a makeover.

I saw Charles again, he had killed his wife, as well as taking his life soon after. I saw a note.

_We will not be used for your evil deeds. We would rather be dead than cooperate with you. May God have mercy on our souls._

I turn around, and see someone looking at the dead bodies, right through me, as if he couldn't see me. I also recognized this person before. I had dreamt him before, and I also saw him in my room just this afternoon.


	4. Dreams

Chapter Four

Dreams

For a week, I kept dreaming of how people died in this house, and every time I turned around, I saw the guy who seemed to be the reason people killed themselves and their families.

Only once did I have a dream where the ghost actually possessed a man, and he killed his only child, his only son, and was about to kill his wife, when the man had enough in him to kill himself, and it made it seem accidental: falling through the second story window.

I did not tell anyone about these crazy dreams, not even the Cult, which would no doubt ask me for details. I kept everything to myself, and slowly got to know everyone that belonged to the Cult, which weren't many. Nine, including me. One boy and one girl were absent on my first day. The boy was Alex, and the girl was Victoria.

They gave me a good vibe the day I met them, and actually had some classes together, which were Algebra which in this case, every one was in this class, except Leslie, which was in Geometry, being a sophomore, French and English with Alex and Victoria, respectively.

Yet still, I could not tell them of my dreams, or of my day dreams, because they would think me insane, or that I bumped my head a little too many times when I was little.

Dustin and Zacky asked about any sightings a couple of times, but I keep saying nope, and that my brother hasn't been nervous; on the contrary, Lucas was getting more and more nervous, asking if he can sleep in my bed, which he rarely does, except for times when he has had a nightmare, or keeps hearing things in his room. My parents even put his bed in my room, making us roommates.

I guess I could say it bugs me that my baby brother sleeps in the same room as me, but it doesn't. When I'm alone, I swear the ghost wants to come out at me, and when I'm with someone in the same room, I feel safe. I haven't _really_ seen or heard anything since Lucas just moved into my room, which was Friday, and by Sunday, he was my roommate.

"You ok?" asked Zacky. He sat next to me at lunch, and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Eh, I'm just tired. Don't worry. I'll be fine. Thanks though," I said, as tired as I can.

"Are you sure? Because it doesn't look like you're tired. It looks like you're…worried." Amazing. How did he know? Do I really show the obvious, which I have tried to hide since my fist encounter with the ghost?

"Well, my brother has had nightmares for a few days, and now sleeps in my room. He whimpers. A lot," I said. Not completely true, but eh, whatever.

"What kind of nightmares?"

Crap. What would be a good lie? Vampires. Yes.

"I don't know. Something about vampires, and how somehow I always get turned into one. I don't know. He must have seen a movie or something."

Suddenly, Zacky looked nervous.

"What's wrong?" I ask, this time, my turn to be worried.

"Nothing. Nothing. Nothing at all. Sit down on the chair, and look like you're doing homework," he said, quickly.

I do as he says, because his frantic voice is making me nervous.

Someone is walking towards us, and I don't get why Zacky got nervous. I had no doubt that Zacky could take him. Who was he? I wanted to take a good look at him, but I had a sheet of paper, courtesy of Zacky, and started to write in messy handwriting. I'm about a third of the way when a shadow befalls us.

"Why Zacky, nice to see you. Again," said the person.

"Hello, Scott," said Zacky, a little too dismissive of the person.

"What brought you here?"

"I go to school here," he said, as if ending all discussion.

"Since when?"

"Last year. What are you doing here?"

"I heard a friend was near here, and went looking for her. But I find you. Isn't that a coincidence?"

"I suggest you keep looking for her. You know how hard it is to find friends around here."

"But I found you. It doesn't look like it's _too_ hard. But then again, I have been looking for you for some time."

What was going on? _Some time_? I felt like this was a soap opera, and I tuned in to the climax, knowing this was good, but I could not figure out why it was so good. I keep writing on the paper, this time, about a story with no particular plot. A poem, it turned out in the end.

"I suppose. But you know there is no reason to look for me. We were colleagues before, nothing more."

"I understand, but so much has happened that ni-"

"Nothing happened that would be your concern, Scott"

"And is…who is this?" It looked like he changed his question midway, as if he was about to say something about the issue Zacky did not want to talk about. I wanted to know what was going on, and feeling clueless made me annoyed.

"This is Marilyn," he said. The way he said it stopped me from denying.

"Her sister?" Scott asked, confused.

"No. No relation whatsoever," said Zacky firmly.

"What seems to be the problem?" asked Con, coming back from getting lunch. He sees Scott, and turns to Zacky, then turns to me. Me being clueless, I look between Zacky and Scott, trying to fit in the puzzle. What is going on? Why were they talking in riddles?

"Nothing, Con. Scott was just leaving."

Scott looked angry, but started to walk away.

"We have more to talk about Zack. I'll be looking for you," he said, looked at Con and me, then walked off.

"Who was that?" I whisper.

"Don't worry about it," said Zacky, drained.

"What do you mean don't worry. You said my name was Marilyn. You're bad at names," I said.

He smiled. "You're funny. Don't change, ok?" Way to dismissive.

"What?"

"Don't change. Be yourself. Hard as it may be, if you try to change, you lose who you are. It's not worth it."

"Why are you being so philosophical?" Did he know this wasn't like I usually acted? If so, how? How?

"If I told you something, that pertained to you, and the whole present situation, promise me you will think about it before you get mad," he said, looking at me with that strong gaze, but this time I could not look away. I tried to see if he would say something with his eyes, but they only looked dark, empty, somewhere else.

"I'll try," I said, worried.

"Alright. I saw you at Vista, sometime last year. You were with someone, and Scott, the guy that you saw just right now, was ordered to kill him. I was ordered to get rid of any suspects…" he stopped and looked at me, seeing if anything clicked.

It didn't.

He sighed. "Do you remember any of the events that happened leading to your boyfriend's death?"

At the mention of him, everything clicked. Well, almost everything. I remember some lunatic driver coming at us, and I managed to get out of the way, but he was still behind me. I turn around, and see him being run over. I myself felt like my head was on fire, and saw someone standing behind me when I collapse. I was in the hospital for three months. All summer, and two weeks of school. My time of freedom was taken from me. But never mind that. Someone special to me was taken from me. Someone that I was willing to die for. Someone who was willing to die for me.

I could not bring myself to think Zacky was the one who hurt me, or his friend is the one who killed my boyfriend.

"Who else was in it?" I ask, calmly. I was not calm. How I managed that was a mystery to me.

"Well, myself, Scott, Dustin, Matt, and…Alex," he said, worried how angry I would get. What about the vibes?

"And why didn't you kill me like you were supposed to?" I ask, ready to be on the verge of tears.

"I…couldn't. Look. It's not like we wanted to have anything to do with someone's death, but we were hungry-"

"Hungry? _Hungry?_ What about working for your food? What about stealing? Why kill?" I ask, angry. I definitely thought about it before I got angry.

"Our diet isn't that simple," he said, levelly.

"Then explain. Explain well."

"We…"

Dustin walked up to us, and sat down in front of me.

"Raechel, we are not what we appear to be," he said.

"Obviously. You try to kill me and then try to make me a friend. You guys are worse than backstabbers." I wanted to yell, but refrained. No one knew why I moved here, and hopefully, they wouldn't have to. But if push came to shove…

"Raechel, listen to us. We are in a situation that, were it different, we would get rid of you. But we can't. We are responsible for you."

"How, Dustin? Huh? How?" I felt like crying. I thought they were my friends.

"Raechel…do you believe in ghosts?" he asked.

That threw me off. "Sure. Get to the point."

"Do you believe in fairies?"

"What? You guys are fairies?" Had the situation been different, I would have cracked up.

"No. Now, do you believe in _vampires_?"

So that's why Zacky got nervous when I told him about my brother's dreams. I thought this was an innocent half lie as to why I was tired. It turns out my lie was their truth.

"You're trying to tell me you guys are vampires? What about this whole ghost stuff at my home?"

"Well…the person we served kind of died there about two hundred years ago, and-"

"You guys are not two hundred years old. At most, you guys are seventeen, _maybe_ eighteen. But not two hundred-"

"No. We are two hundred years old." I wanted to be skeptical, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

"If you guys are vampires, then why aren't you going up in flames?" I ask, innocently.

And they laugh. I should be a comedian. A dumb comedian.

"This is not funny. You guys killed my boyfriend."

They stopped laughing, and Con asks me, "Raechel, what did you know about your boyfriend?"

Now. I knew tons about my deceased boyfriend. I could say his favorite color, his favorite place, his favorite subject, his opinion. He was Plato, and I was Socrates. But when Con asked me what I knew of him, I decided I did not know much about him. I did not know where he was born. I did not know much about his past. I only knew about his present, and that had been good enough for me.

"He was a vampire," I said. It was no question.

"Yes. His mission was to bring someone to the leader, and you were the target. Of course, you had to come willingly, therefore, he had to get to know you. Well, he didn't accomplish his mission, and in the end abandoned the Cult." Aha! I _knew_ it was a cult. "He felt something vampires don't really feel. He made a connection with you."

Con stopped, took a deep breath, and said, "Raechel, Manny is still alive, but he is not safe. Scott and his followers got him, and have him hostage. Now, we decided to ditch school the day you ditched school because we had to somehow get to know you before the school took you in. We need to know. Will you help us restore our brother?" So, they accepted me _because_ they knew me. Had I not been Manny's girlfriend, they would have been in school, I would have made friends with whoever talked to me first. Well, I would have been stuck next to them in any case, but still…

Getting Manny back was something I wanted for so long. I would have traded anything to get him back. My health. My sanity. Both were gone, and he evidently wasn't.

"So the note he wrote me about not being far was literal?" I ask. Were these past three months a lie? Why didn't he tell me he wasn't dead? Why didn't he tell me what was going on? He had me feeling like life was not worth living, and here he was, alive and well, letting himself be taken away.

"Raechel. Please. We need to know now," said Zacky, his tone urgent once more. Had I known before I got to know Zacky that he knocked me out cold the day Manny supposedly died, I would not have cared about his urgency. But damn it all, I liked this boy, and I don't like to see friends worry.

"Fine. I'll help. But I'm not doing it for Manny." At first they looked relived, but upon my last sentence, the stopped dead cold. Ha. What irony. I should be a comedian.

"What? Why?" asked Matt.

"He lied to me. He could have told me the truth. He shouldn't have made me believe I could live forever with him. Not literally forever, but you know what I mean."

"I know. But he did it for your protection."

"I would rather be a snack than be lied upon."

"That's not a good thing to say in front of so many vampires love," said Zacky.

"I meant it in a rhetorical way then," I said. Now I have to watch what I say? I always did watch what I said, but only the serious stuff. Now I can't joke around. This felt too unreal, like something fresh out of a movie, and I was stuck inside it with no way out.

"Alright then. We need to meet as soon as possible. We will begin the mission in about two, three weeks," said Zacky.

"He can hardly hold on a month. We have to see if we can by next week," said Con, looking worried.

"This is Manny we're talking about. He managed to -no offense Raechel- but he managed to go three whole months with someone who's blood was meant to be spilled for all of us…" no cool pause here, "…and he managed to save you when that car was meant to hit you and stop him momentarily. You were both supposed to be killed," said Zacky.

"Why didn't we, then?"

"Because…I couldn't kill my friend and someone I didn't know but had a bond with, if that makes sense," he said. He looked away, and pulled out a sheet of paper. In it were intricate plans as to how we would go about with it. I read along, and saw that now five things could be crossed off, but seeing what was next was not something I anticipated.

"_No way_ am I going to become a v-" I screamed.

Matt covered my mouth before I could finish the sentence. We were huddled before I saw the list, but now it seemed ominous. Would they really bite me in school? In front of everyone?

"Quiet down," said Matt. "You're going to cause attention to yourself."

"Hmm. Hmmm hm hmm hmmm hm!" I said, which meant _No. I won't be a vampire!_

"Look, you agreed, and now we have to carry on. It won't hurt…that bad. Just for a few hours," said Matt, not caring to comfort me.

"Raechel, we will be with you every step of the way. We promise," said Zacky.

"And if it does hurt, and the…thirst is there, you can take it out on Matt," said Dustin. Matt gave Dustin a dirty look, but looked like he would agree, if need be.

I got Matt's hand away from my mouth, and said, "Fine. As long as I can cover up somehow. Is Leslie in on this?" I ask. I can say I'm sleeping over at her house, or something. But oh god, I wanted to shit my pants in fright.

"Umm. No. You might think she is, but she does not agree with getting Manny back. That is why she has been somewhat aggressive towards you, and why she just stopped hanging out with us, when she found out what was going on," said Con.

"Who and who exactly are in on the plan then?"

"All of us here, Alex, and Victoria. Kind of. Victoria doesn't want to turn you into a vampire for some unknown reason. But Alex supports everything," said Zacky. I suddenly knew he was the mastermind in this plan.

"Alright. Well. It's Friday today. I'll tell my mom I'm going to Victoria's house for an English project, and later tell her I'm going to sleep over. Hopefully she'll buy it. Umm…" How to ask?

"What is it Raechel?"

"How often do you guys get thirsty?"

Silence.

"About once a week," said Con.

"And…what do you guys use as your…energy consumption?"

"Raechel. Please don't be naïve. Please understand. Just like you can't eat dirt because it has no calories, we cannot feed on thing but humans."

Suddenly, I want to make a run for it. I didn't care what I had just agreed to. I DID NOT WANT IN.

They must have seen the look in my eyes, because suddenly Alex grabs my wrist, with no clear expression.

"Raechel. We can hold you down if we want. We can force you to help us. But we don't want to. Z-"

"Raechel. Please be reasonable. Don't be afraid of us. We will, if anything, starve rather than kill you," said Dustin. _What? Is my blood not good enough now?_ Wow. That thought could only belong to a sick, twisted person. How much would I be willing to risk, literally? I am not talking about "how much are you willing to risk, but in the end would be worth it" rhetorically. I mean "Do you accept that you are willing to die for this cause, and your death will not be the responsibility of anybody?

"Let me think about it," I said, looking at Alex, to indicate to let my hand go, since it was going numb from the pressure and the cold. He didn't get it, or he wanted me to make a decision. _Remember the good vibe he had_, I tried to remember. _What good vibe?_ another part was telling me.

"Raechel. Decide _now_. We need to know if we have to change plans without you, or to continue with the plan Zacky has now. And we promise not to bite you," said Alex, in a soft, husky whisper. How I heard him was a miracle. But I was probably still at the thought of all these friends killing people to feed. I had "heightened senses," which would definitely make sense. Aha.

"Fine," I said. And he _still_ didn't let my hand go.

"Alright. Alex. Show her where she will stay today, and most of tomorrow. She should know, so that she can get accustomed to our location, and go instinctively should she be in danger," said Dustin. But then on second thought, "Or, you know what. Zacky, you take her. You are the one that is most used to her smell." Did I smell bad? I hoped not. I take super long showers every day. No way can I smell bad. If anything, I smell fruity, or maybe some sweet, minty smell.

Alex let go of me. He is strong, and obviously a vampire, but I could not see why someone like him would be a vampire. He seemed too…I don't know. Fragile. Like anyone could break him in more than two pieces.

Back to the situation, Zacky held out his hand, and I took it. In a new light, I could _swear_ that his hand feels cold, but I contained a shiver, and let him lead me. This felt too familiar, and before I could identify why it was, Zacky started to explain.

"You can choose who will turn you. It will have to be in school, because for an hour or so, you will look sick. I have to take you to the place you could call our 'coven.' Please understand this Raechel. Vampires like to be alone, but having allies is something we all try to attain. And we always meet regularly. And for vampires as young as - er - physically- and mentally-wise as us, friendships are made. Also. You could _never_ tell another soul -or lack thereof- of where the coven is located. You must also avoid the sun. I'll explain later," he said, when it looked like I was about to interrupt him, "as well as…strong emotions. Think you can do that?" I knew why he asked me. He saw me flip out. I'll show him…later.

"Might as well be you. As for the soul thing. What about my baby brother? He will notice any changes in me. He sleeps in the same room as me. His dreams will come _true_, and not dreams like becoming a firefighter, but nightmares," I said, almost begging.

"Raechel," he sighed, and turned around. As much as I hated it, he gave me butterflies. The only thing that stopped him from knowing was my heart. We were running, and he didn't deem it suspicious that it was still going fast when he turned around. Damn vampires. Why is it that I seem to fall for one nowadays? And anyway, my heart never did those sudden stops, or those flips people so adamantly talk about in books. Pshh. What fakes; liars; trixies. But my breathing does pick up, as if to make up for it.

"Raechel," he repeated again, "if your brother knows, he would have to be killed, or turned into one. Is that what you want?" he asked, looking at me as if my face would give the answer. It evidently didn't.

"No. I don't want him to turn into one. It's just that…he's only two, and I feel like he could be my kid. It would hurt me to think I might worry him, when he should be carefree. I already worry him as it is," I said, frowning, and looking at Zacky.

Zacky looked like he was calculating the consequences. Was he the leader of the Cult? If he was, would he give me the opportunity?

"Tell him. But anyone else, and he, as well as the other person will die. And you will be exposed and disposed," he said, without any emotion. He was dead serious. No pun intended. No emotion, _at all_. I wanted to change my mind again. If he was like this when tested, I didn't want to know how he would be in the real thing.

"Look, sorry for scaring you. Tell him, but you know the responsibilities of a vampire. We told you because we were willing to risk our secret for you. And honestly, if you wouldn't help us, we would not have killed you. But don't be scared," he said. _Oh. No._ What have I _done_?

He led the way, and I walked along. We didn't run, because it would look suspicious. He took me to our biology classroom.

"Ready?" he asked, "don't be scared."

Sure. Why wouldn't I be? Suddenly even Alex, or Con seemed like a better choice. Should I still ask him? And why did I feel that attraction that should have been gone the moment he threatened to kill my baby brother. Had he been human, I would have popped one in his face. _Nobody_ threatens my family. It was just an unwritten rule. _Just like it is an unwritten rule not to argue with vampires_. I learned that today, all on my own.

He cornered me, and lifted my face, to expose my neck. I couldn't help but think this was extremely cliché. Was this really how someone was turned? Why the neck? Why not the one in the arm or something? Why was it that in books no one ever turned? They could have at least given pointers. You know, like what to think about while you awaited your death, and what to do when the person seemed to take an extremely long time, and every time it seemed like he would bite, he would pull back, look at me and frown. _Did_ my heart go crazy if pushed far enough?

"Hmm. You'd think you would be getting scared. Why is that, you think?" he asked, conversationally.

You got to be fucking kidding me.

"I'm scared shitless, but I'm not about to let you know that," I said.

"I like your paradoxes," he said, and again, went for my throat.

And he bit me. Ow. The pain was intense for like five seconds. Not like a broke-your-hip kind of pain. Worse. It could never be explained. And what did I think about? Music. Stuff like Slipknot, or Pantera, or anything angry, because if I went for RnB, for sure I would have screamed. But after the five seconds, I just felt dizzy. Well, that is an understatement. I was fainting, it seemed, because Zacky had to hold on to me. _Right when someone was opening the door_.

I should have been mortified. I was dizzy, and lightheaded, and seeing about a dozen Zackys, but the look on the kid's face gave me the impression that he felt like he stumbled upon us having sex.

I guess that based on how we were located, that was a natural mistake, but how could you not see that he was _biting_ me? Unless he stopped biting, and only cleaning up the blood. I don't know, but no emotion came to me as I saw the kid. He stood frozen on the spot for like ten seconds, and stammered while getting out of the room as quickly as his human legs can carry him, no doubt to spread the word that the fag Zacky and the new girl Raechel were getting it on.

I honestly didn't care. It was Friday, and most people were going to this huge party downtown anyways, and based on the party I went to (invited by my sister, which I went because she bribed me) last week, people were going to get black outs. Heck, even _I_ got a little boozed, something hardly accomplished, no matter what the alcohol consumption.

People would forget by tonight, which I knew for sure. But for now, I worried that I remembered I was dehydrated, and feared Zacky would take all my blood, and suck me dry. And I think he read my thoughts now.

"No doubt they will forget. We can take care of that," he said, and added, "and sorry. Your blood is just…so good," he said, like a psychopath.

"Hmm," I said, because I felt weak, indefensive, vulnerable.

"You look sick already? Wow. Sorry love," he said, "didn't mean to get carried away."

He carried me out of the classroom, and when I saw the sun, I understood. It blinded me completely. I only saw the white through my eyelids, but nothing more. Interesting. Only my sight went horrible. The rest of my senses went from "heightened" to superb. I heard the boy that came in the room ("Oh my God! What did he do to her? You see those two? They-"), I heard Alex, who was all the way across campus ("Why would he let her tell her brother? God. Zacky's feeling for her-") (well, _that_ was interesting. Mutual feelings, by any chance?), and finally, hearing Dustin ("He knows what he's doing. He created the coven almost a year ago, and it runs smoothly. I'm sure he makes decisions that wouldn't hurt it, but no doubt his feelings taint his deci-"). And with that, I passed out.


	5. Turning

Chapter Five

Turning

When I woke up, I felt like I had slept for decades, and I would for sure wake up to see a robot tending me. But when I open my eyes, I see the school nurse. I had only passed out enough for Zacky to carry me to the nurse. Well, he didn't carry me fireman style, but he was supporting most of my weight, while I just worked with moving one leg in front of the other.

"Oh my! What is wrong with the new girl?" Oh wow. She didn't even know my name.

"I don't know. We were making up a lab for biology a couple minutes ago, and it looks like she had a faint spell. At first I couldn't really carry her, so I had to sit her down a while," said Zacky, lying convincingly. How many times has he had to lie?

"What is this?" asked the nurse. She saw the blood, and Zacky said, "oh, that is when I accidentally pricked my finger, and it must have smeared when I grabbed her face to make sure she wasn't having a concussion or something. I think she should be taken home. From what I know, she doesn't respond well to being sick," he said which was the aka that meant I throw up hardcore. Not true, but eh.

"Is this true…Raquel?" she said. Raquel? Was it because I can speak Spanish, and my parents grew up with Spaniard parents?

"Raechel," I said, in as much an Anglo accent as I could, "and yes. I do tend to get very sick, to the point of delusional."

"Well, I know this is true, seeing you right now, but I do have to ask you questions," she said, and she was trying to find a questionnaire. She handed it to me, but Zacky took it from me.

"You're in no shape to be reading. Your sight sucks, right?" he asked. Aha. Play along Raechel.

"How do you know?" I asked, as if I was surprised.

"My brother was sick from this about last week. Lasts a couple days, but by Monday or Tuesday, you should be good," he said. Did he have a brother? Was he lying to benefit the nurse? Who knows.

"Alright. Lets fill this questionnaire. I see five of you."

He chuckled. "Alright. One: What are your symptoms?"

I had to think of a way to describe "turning into a vampire" into something more human.

"Umm, like I was infected by an incurable disease, like something normal medicine won't fix," I said.

No doubt Zacky was trying not to laugh, because he pretended to cough, and said, "That's how my brother felt! But no worries. If it is what he had, you should be fine."

"Who is your brother, young man?" asked the nurse. Oh. I had forgotten all about her.

"He's in college now, but his name is Adam Mel," he said. How old is Zacky?

"I see. Well, can I trust you to take care of her while I go for more passes to excuse her? Do you feel sick too?"

"Umm, not like her," but then on second thought, "but I sure hope it doesn't get as bad as her. Maybe I should go home," he said.

"Alright, son. I'll be back in a moment to give you two your passes. Do you drive honey?" she asked me.

"No," I said miserably. For the moment I had forgotten all about home. All about what awaited there.

Ghosts and vampires. Two things no one would ever go through in one lifetime. That is just impossible. Did I in actuality have two souls inside of me, and one was destined to discover ghosts, and the other vampires? Nothing made sense anymore.

"The ghost thing is just a plus for you. And, I had also forgotten about her. Are you ok?"

"I don't know," I mumbled. "Do you really have a brother?"

"I used to. He died long ago," he said, without much feeling. Hard to believe he was telling the truth, but I hoped it was the truth, because I believed him completely.

I hear something, and turn to the door, expectant.

Nothing.

That is, until like five seconds later, the Coven came up, seeing me for the first time since…five minutes?

"Wow. She looks like she has a horrible fever. What did you do?" asked Matt.

"Nothing that would kill her," said Zacky. _We need to finish this questionnaire…two…who would you call in case of an emergency in school. Fuck. Who could we say, and that would never verify?_

I heard him, but he wasn't talking. How is that? I heard, but to thought process came up. I decided to try something. _Say my mom. She will say I went home, but I'll tell her I have a huge English project. She'll buy it, but don't tell her how pathetic I look_. Zacky looked at me, evaluating what I had just said. He erased the first answer, and simply put that I had a stomach ache that felt like I would keep throwing up.

"Not bad. Only two questions? Amazing. They seem to shrink it every time we see it, eh?" said Matt. How long _have_ they existed?

_We're old. Very old_, said Zacky, in his mind. No doubt he didn't know how this happened either. Did this happen to every vampire that turned someone? _No_, I thought. Connection through connection would only have you hearing a crowd in a couple years. And if they did, I would be hearing other voices too, because no doubt, he has turned others. At least. I think. _No. You're the first person I have turned, Raechel_. This sounds like sex, I thought, and hoped against hoped he wouldn't hear that.

He apparently didn't. But then again, I didn't hear him after that either. Can we control what the other hears? Than what's the use? Maybe to communicate in silence. Maybe that's why some vampires are stronger than others. Who knew. I didn't know anything anymore. Everything was a muddle. Nothing made sense. My inductive and deductive reasoning sucked at the moment.

"So how do you feel Raechel?" asked Alex. I heard amiability, and wondered what it was that he has against me before.

"I feel…miserable. Tired. I want to die," I said.

"You are dying," he said, and laughed.

"Ner ner," I said. It was funny, but I didn't feel like laughing. That took too much energy.

With my sight so bad so far, I did not notice them leaving, and the nurse coming in ten seconds later.

"Here you go young one," said the nurse. "How are you going home, dearie?"

"I'll drive her home," said Zacky. "We live one street away from each other," he said, friendly enough.

"Alright. Hope you two feel better," she said, and with that, she gave him our passes.

I managed to stumble to the car Zacky pointed, and saw all of them were waiting for me.

"How is the sun treating you?" asked Matt, no doubt making fun of my innocent question earlier.

"I feel like it's gonna boil my skin and insides," I said, serious.

And that is how he took it, or to say precisely, that is how they all took it. They began to raise the black tinted windows. They even covered the front glass for me.

"Kidding," I said. Let me say one thing: Vampires can give dirty looks. Extremely dirty looks. _If looks can kill_, is what I kept thinking.

_Hahaha. You sure are mean_, I heard Zacky say.

_Not my fault. He was making fun of me,_ I said, defiantly.

"Alright Matt. You learned something today: Don't mess with Raechel," said Zacky, laughing while he looked back. And he was the one driving.

Of course, he didn't go at the same speed as Dustin, but I didn't like how he wasn't even looking at the road.

Does he want to kill me or something?

"By no means. I want you undead," he said. Out loud. And he realized too late the mistake.

"Who are you talking to? Raechel? She didn't even talk," said Dustin. I know Dustin is smart, and he would have caught on the moment Zacky made the comment to Matt. So why was he asking Zacky?

"You two can hear each other, huh?" said Alex.

"I can hear all of you just fine, thank you very much," I said. I sure was in a jokey mood.

"No. Hear each other's _mind_," said Con. So they obviously all caught on.

"I don't know why this happened," said Zacky.

"Zacky…how many times have you turned someone?" asked Dustin. So this is what he meant with they didn't really know Zacky.

"I have turned no one before her. I either kill them, or don't bother to feed on them," said Zacky.

"Maybe it's that you hear the thoughts of the first person you turn?" asked Victoria.

"No. I have not had an experience like that with the person I turned," said Alex.

"Neither did I," said Con.

"Neither did I," said Dusting.

"Me neither," said Matt.

Then, they all looked at me. Only for a while, but I faintly felt edgy. I noticed my emotions weren't strong right now. They were faint. But didn't they tell me my emotions would be strong? Were they lying to me? Or did it take a while for the effects to take place?

"We're almost there," said Matt. He saw me, and no doubt thought I looked sicker than anything. Comforting me? Well. Whatdayaknow.

What I saw was a house near Dustin's. Did they have two?

"You guessed right," said Zacky.

"Which one is the main one?" I asked.

"This one. Dustin just leaves his car parked there in case of emergencies," he said.

I manage to get out by myself, and made it to the front door before I needed assistance. Zacky held my waist, and carried me to a sofa. _Comfy_. I thought.

"Good, eh?" said Matt.

"Yes," I whisper. I wanted to sleep. More than anything, I needed to sleep.

"You can't sleep," said Con.

"What? Why?" I said. I was starting to get what they meant by strong emotions.

"Well, that sleep you feel is actually…death. You sleep means you die. You have to stay awake twenty four hours," said Alex.

_Oh no_. _No. This can't be happening_.

"Are you sure you can handle her all by yourself?" asked Dustin. Did I look angry already?

"Yea. I'll tie her up if I need to," he said.

"Alright. Boys. Let's go," he said. Aha. Funny. Hilarious. The last thing they heard as they walked outside of the house was my hysterical laughter.

"Raechel. Please. Don't be too loud. No one knows teens -more or less- live here," said Zacky, as soon as he saw I wasn't going to calm down. And that was three minutes ago.

And it looked like I wasn't going to calm down.

"Raechel. _Shut up_," he said, with an edge.

It calmed me down to the point where I was only chuckling. I was starting to feel mad. Not angry, just mad.

"I can't sleep? Ever?" I asked, serious.

He wasn't going to answer.

"Do you sleep at night?"

"No."

"In the day?"

"Raechel. I'm in school in the day." Right. I forgot.

"So you don't sleep at all?"

He sighed. "No. That's why we feed. We get the relaxation of rest from the blood.

"I know. Ironic. But that's how we manage to feel well rested."

"I see."

"What do you want to do while you wait? You have twenty three to go," he said. If he was trying to be optimistic by saying that one hour has passed already, it didn't work. I felt dead tired. No pun. The real deal. I wanted to close my eyes.

"It wouldn't be wise," he said.

"Can I at least close my eyes, and you watch for any change in my breathing? Please?" I begged.

He seemed to be thinking about it.

"No! Never mind. What do you have?" I knew what would happen when he thought about things. He can get to the point of threatening.

"Don't be scared of me, Raechel," he said, in a scary tone. Scared? Nah.

I said nothing, and he sat next to me. He did this thing all boys do: Spread himself in the sofa. Not lying down, but sitting down, with his arms resting at the top of the sofa, and his legs claiming half of the seating. You know. Stretched.

I wanted to lie down and close my eyes. And when he hugged me, I didn't resist. Instead I put my head in his chest, and was about to close my eyes.

That is, until he lifted my face to his, and kissed me. Just like that. The shock brought my eyes to open, and when he pulled me back to gauge my reaction, he smiled, and kissed me again.

I did not feel fangs, like some books say you feel. _I should stop believing everything I read in books_, I said, sure to say it to myself, so he wouldn't hear it. He didn't. He kept kissing me. Softly. Sweetly. And I kissed him back. I didn't think about Manny. He was dead to me the minute I decided he really was gone. I had set my mind to move on and forget him. I knew I would remember the special time we spent together. But they would be just that. Memories. I know that feels like something only an asshole, or a total bitch would say, or think, or feel. But that is how I protected myself from the pain I felt when I thought he had died.

I was kissing Manny's friend. I was kissing a vampire. Well, I kissed a vampire before Zacky, but Zacky was more gentle. Like I said, sweet.

I pulled back, because I felt like I was betraying Manny, even though the idea struck me as ridiculous the moment I thought it.

Zacky has evidently not heard any of my thoughts, which I thank God for, since now I do know that the feelings are mutual. He just smiles at me, and kisses me again.

He feels so comfortable. I want to sleep. I need to sleep.

"How about a movie?" he asks.

"Alright," I say. What else can I do? Die? Ha. Not now.

I see they have children movies, teen movies, horror movies, comedy movies, and even adult movies. Pervs.

"Those are not ours," he said, looking at what I was looking at.

"Boys will be boys," I said, indifferent. I have learned that long ago. No need to deny it to someone that has heard it all. At least, has heard all the stuff of today.

"Don't believe me. But these…things, are not ours. If we want some, we just go out and look," he said. Ok. So maybe there was still one thing I had yet to hear. _Now_ I have heard it all.

"Is that so?" I said, careful to hide my anathema against such things.

"Boys will be boys," he said, using the very same phrase I used, and turned it against me. _Good one_.

"So what movie would you like to watch?"

"Umm. I don't know. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers I guess."

"You like that?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Fer sure," I said. And I was serious. I love the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Only three seasons that were actually worthwhile, and until Disney took over.

We watched the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers with a lot of volume, and he seemed to actually enjoy the movie. Aha. Score for me.

We were seeing Ivan Ooze getting his arse kicked, and defeated, when the others got home. Three already? Yay. Twenty one hours to go.

"Power Rangers?" asked Con. "Without me? Rewind it!" Con? _Con?_ No way.

"This is a side I never saw in you," I told him. He looked like he was a whole new person. Well, not completely new, but as if this new side gave him a whole new vibe. Yea. That was it. A completely new and different vibe.

"The only time you will see me like this," he said, sounding like his two personalities were conflicting.

"Well hello everyone," said Dustin. I did not miss the look he gave at Zacky's arm around my waist.

It was a silent agreement that our feelings were mutual, and that we were going to give it a shot.

Matt also saw it, but unlike wise Dustin, he commented about it.

"Go Zacky. Nice one man," he said. Zacky playfully punched him. Well. In vampire terms I supposed.

Alex and Victoria came in, talking together. They weren't whispering. I could hear what they were talking about. They had just called my mom, and asked if I could stay at Victoria's house, on the other side of town, and that her mother would give me a ride, but if it was ok if I slept over if the project wasn't done. Right away, I knew it was a success. Both Alex and Victoria looked smug, and when they saw how close Zacky and I were, they smiled even bigger.

"Seems like every one got what they wanted," said Victoria.

"And then some," said Matt. Hardy har har.

"Alright. Dustin! Get the popcorn ready. I'll let the commercials run," said Con.

Dustin was back in no time, and I saw the movie again. And again. And right when it was turning to the fourth time, Dustin suggested Disturbia, no doubt his favorite movie.

Con went back to his old self, with a little trace of happiness. If the movie could be turned to blood, no doubt he would be obese from feeding on it so much.

We saw Disturbia once, since Dustin could compose himself better than Con in front of his favorite movie. Next was Alex's turn. Of all things, he chose some episode of Rainbow Brite. I had the feeling he was growing up in the seventies or eighties. Victoria chose Mean Girls. Alright. A chick flick. One of the few I can actually watch. Matt chose Lion King One and a Half. His favorite movie showed a lot about him. He is funny. Very. Next was Zacky. He chose The Lost Boys. A vampire movie. How…interesting. Not what I expected, but alright. I love vampire movies. But I guess that for all the vampires in the room, the movie was hilarious. Every time a vampire burned to ashes, they would laugh. I couldn't help myself.

"Why are you guys laughing?"

"Because, as you have seen with us for about a few weeks, the sun does not affect us like the movie depicts. Only when you are turning. By the way. The joke you made earlier. While it was funny to me because I knew you were kidding, it was not funny for every else."

Victoria looked confused, and Alex explained. "Zacky and Raechel seem to be able to read each other's thoughts."

"Oh," she said. "What is he thinking now?"

"I don't know. I only hear him from time to time."

"Well. If he thinks up something worth mentioning, tell us," she smiled.

_Pshh. In your dreams Vapor Rub._ He looked at me, and winked. No one saw that?

"I sure will, Vapor Rub," I said, knowing Zacky wanted me to say her nick name.

And sure enough, she gave him a dirty look.

By the time The Lost Boys was over, they let me chose my favorite movie.

"Do you guys have Anastasia?"

"Yes, actually," said Victoria. She looked through the countless movies, and found it easily. In alphabetical order. Easy.

"Anastasia? Why a cartoon?" asked Matt.

I looked at him, disbelievingly. He is one to talk.

And he smiled. In turn I laugh. I look at the clock, and see it's two in the morning. Only ten hours to go, and I don't feel sleepy. I was having fun. But thinking about my brother made me depressed instantly. Zacky held me tighter, no doubt knowing what I was thinking about.

By four o'clock, I was tired. I needed eight more hours, and I would be safe. Then, a realization came to me. If Zacky never slept, then when he did, would he die? Would any other person die? I decided to ask everyone.

"Do any of you get any sleep?"

They were all silent. Which meant no. I should have known.

"Girls love it when you can stay up all night long," said Matt, trying to make me laugh. He made everyone else, and he certainly did make me laugh. I noticed I acted like I was bipolar. Either I was extremely happy, or extremely sad. Would it ever go in between?

I decided not to ask.

We all played ping pong until nine. Zacky took me out to the sun, to see how strong I was.

I could see clearly. Nothing was a mystery. I could see from my peripheral vision an old lady, looking at us, knowing in her mind that Zacky and I were in the house doing it last night. I think she would have heard something. Or maybe vampires don't make noise. How was I to know?

Zacky chuckled. "If you want, you can know soon, for as long as you want."

I knew that by now, I was a vampire more than I was human, and did not blush, like I would have done had it been twenty four hours ago.

I also knew that I was not sleepy. I turn around, and kiss his throat.

And I heard and felt his heartbeat. At this point, I felt sleepy, but alert. Wide alert. I wanted to feed. _On him_. It would have made no use, seeing as he hasn't fed in a while, and what he drank was from me, and his blood would make me even more tired, but I was going to try anyway.

Zacky understood, and took me inside.

"And now, I tie her up," he said, calmly, jovially.

He tied my hands together a couple times, and even though I now had the strength, I could not get loose.

_Two more hours love_, he said.

I'm starving. No. I could eat and drink. I was thirsty. Blood thirsty.

"How about you bring her something?" asked Victoria. In the day? Is she nuts?

"No one that would not be missed would be out now," said Dustin.

"We'll wait until the twenty four hours are up," said Con. "If they feed prematurely, they will be blood thirsty more often than not. That is how some of them get caught." No doubt he turned many people.

"Alright," said Zacky.

Eleven dragged by slowly. I growled at anyone who came too closely, and snapped my teeth at Zacky, and even Con and Alex, who I wouldn't have dared to do. They were too serious, or have proved deadly.

No offense to Dustin, Matt, and Victoria, but they were chill, more understanding.

By twelve thirty, Zacky unties me from the post, but makes sure I don't bite him. He puts me in the car, and drives to Los Angeles. The city. Not the street. _I wonder what is waiting for me there_, I thought. I thought about Lucas; about all the ghosts I've dreamed about. The first non-narcissistic thoughts since first getting bitten.

"It's ok Raechel. We'll find someone for you. You can even pick them out. I will take care of it," said Zacky, worried, anxiously.

I picked out someone that had just had a nap.

I chose a five year old kid.

Now, I know that I chose someone innocent, but I would have chosen someone innocent anyways. And I did not care. I was drowsy enough to start to close my eyes.

"Don't close your eyes yet," said Zacky desperately.

I fought to keep them open, but my will was getting lower than my need to close my eyes.

Zacky came back not a minute later, and I fed. And I felt wide awake instantly. I did not care who it was. It could have been the hobo we saw in the corner, or the kid I picked, but the blood tasted refreshing.

I pulled back, once I had my share, and saw that it was the kid I picked out. Zacky drank the rest of the blood, and disposed of the child's body, putting him back in the car I had found him in. The kid looked like he was still sleeping, but we knew better.

His heart had stopped beating.

Zacky came back, and he looked more relaxed. He looked at my face, trying to see what thought was coming in my mind, and when he couldn't figure it out, he asked.

"What are you thinking love?"

"I drank the blood of a five year old kid, and couldn't feel better," then quietly, "even a person with a psychotic disorder would feel something towards guilt. But I feel nothing. Nothing that would be corresponding to this situation."

He hugged me, and held me, knowing I was having the internal conflict of trying to feel bad. And I knew that that is how they have to feel each and every day.

"I'll bring the hobo, for the other ones, ok? They ordered theirs to-go," he said, quietly, no doubt so that the hobo wouldn't hear him. I smirked. I stopped mid way, because I hate when people smirk, but instead grin.

Much better.

I sat next to Zacky while he drove, and he held my hand, while the hobo slept at the back of the car.

When we were sure the hobo was really asleep, Zacky told me how they fed as an entire cult.

"Since we feed once a week, we try to only use one or two well rested people. And well, you weren't really well rested, were you?"

"No," I said apologetically.

"No problem. Your blood still tasted good. The others missed out."

"So, am I really a vampire now?" I asked, still disbelieving. Why didn't the sun hurt me?

"Yes. And we will explain all the debunked rumors about vampires."

He kissed me and said gently, "now we have an eternity to do what we wish."

And with that, I had no doubt in my mind. I had turned. I became undead. With Leslie leaving -with no clear reason why- the Cult, I wondered if they would kill her, or like Manny, would try to help her if she were in danger.

I had a feeling I was going to talk to her soon, and explain the situation. I also had the feeling that she had loved Manny, and the more I thought about it, that Manny had also loved her.

And where did that leave me?

That left me next to the boy that seemed like he knew his feelings.

Definitely. I was turned. I was undead.

I remember thinking: _If I ever forget Manny, it would be because I am no longer living_.

Definitely. I am turned. I am undead.


	6. Operation Leslie

Chapter Six

Operation Leslie

The rest of Saturday was spent discussing what rumors were false.

It turns out almost ninety nine point nine percent of the rumors about vampires were lies. There were actually very few truths.

Matt made a list of the few rumors that were real:

Vampires Really _Do/Are_…

1.… have super strength and super speed.

2.…need to drink blood.

3.…alluring.

4.…super rich.

5.…eat human food.

6.…good liars.

7.…cold.

8.…good in bed ;)

I read them, and saw that these were most of the rumors I believed, except about eating human food. I thought they hated human food, but apparently, human food like tacos, enchiladas, stake (extra rare), pasta, etc., were part of a normal diet.

I couldn't help but laugh at the last one. And not because of the "good in bed," but because of the smiley in the end.

Victoria drove me home, which in car, took about five minutes.

"So, you and Zacky…how do you feel?" she asked, looking at me, and not at the road. I knew by then that vampires can spread their -our- attention to several things at once, and weren't easily distracted. It still made me feel like she was going to crash. But of course, I wasn't about to say anything.

"I feel…hopeful, I guess," I said. I didn't know how I felt. Just that we were going to see if things worked out.

"Well. You sure aren't romantic," she said.

"What about you? What do _you_ tell Alex?" It was a long shot, but not that long. I can usually pick up these kinds of signals. Just never when they're meant for me, except in two cases, which I don't need repeat.

She looked taken aback. "What

"No offense, but it's kind of obvious. And anyway, it seems like you two aren't that serious, like you guys want to make believe," I said, not hesitating. What could she do to me? I was equal to her.

"True. An act for all the people in school. You won't believe how many people will hit on us - er, not trying to be cocky or anything, if you know what I mean," she said, quickly.

"Yea. I know what you mean. I do have a question. Why is it that you were against me turning vampire?"

"Ah. Leslie. She's an important asset to the Coven, and if she left - because of you - I would have left too. We have known each other since when we were humans."

"And, how long ago was that?"

"About the time Colon discovered America," she said, looking for a reaction.

I raise my eyebrows. "So how did you guys come to America?"

"Well, we're Italian, and believed in Colon from the first time we heard about his back then radical ideas. When Spain granted him the money needed for the expedition, we went along. We were the first Italian girls in America. Of course, no one would ever know that, since we disappeared right after. Taken hostage by Native Americans that passed by every ten years around those villages to feed on that certain village, and we got unlucky. And, here we are," she said. It seemed like she has said this story many times before, no doubt because of the many alliances she has made throughout the centuries.

"So, you are around six hundred years old?" -- nod -- "wow. What about the rest of them?"

"Zacky and them? Lets see. I know the least about Zacky, but you might find out more than I ever could. But Dusting and Matt were friends from the nineteen fifties. Dustin was a "square," while Matt was a "greaser." You could see that in their personalities. But Matt taught Dustin a lot of the greaser ways. Leslie…she is hippie. Seventies. Alex and Con…I think they are just a bit younger than me. So they are probably from the eighteen hundreds. But you ask Zacky, and report. I have told you what I know of them. Girl vampires have to stick together. Of course, it will not appear so, since in so many cases, like this one, there will be more boys than girls in any coven. But that is why. Boy vampires…change their minds easily," said Victoria, looking at me sideways, as if I would deny it. I didn't. Manny had taught me that.

"Are you telling me to be careful of Zacky?" I asked, neutrally.

"Well, not necessarily untrusting, but don't let yourself be too caught on with him. I don't know much about him. I don't know when he was created. Well. I'm wrong with this Cult. Con, Alex, and maybe Zacky, depending on his age, of course, are from the old times, so they usually are serious about their relationships."

"Then why is Alex with you?" She was lying about Alex and her not being serious.

She blushed. Lightly. Hardly noticeable, except that I heard her blood rushing to her face. No doubt she would have been as red as a tomato six hundred years ago.

"Don't worry about it. No harm done. So, you being much older than even them, you must be serious about the relationship. Or is it that you have been a vampire long enough to not really make relationships?"

"Well, for a while, the latter, but after I met Alex, I felt a real relationship, like you and Zacky. When you were with Manny…he…you…the relationship wasn't as strong. Trust me," she said, when it looked like I was going to object, which I wasn't. "He was able to live day to day without seeing you. But for me and Alex…I have to see him every day--" she stopped short, as if she told me more than she had ever intended. Girl vampires have to stick together, eh?

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. You want a blood sacrifice to prove it?"

She laughed. "I guess I can trust you. I have to see him every day, and he has to see me every day. If I wasn't sixteen when they turned me, I would have married him." And she stayed silent for a long time. I know she was having a hard time saying this. I wouldn't have said it, not even thought it in fear that my face would reveal it. She was brave.

"But enough of that. I asked about you. How do you feel with Zacky?"

Despite what she had revealed to me, I couldn't tell her how much I was trying to figure out how I felt about him. I was going to say a half truth, but saw the mess the last one put me in, so I told the truth. The entire truth.

"I feel like he's the one I have been waiting for my whole life, and that Manny was just…an obstacle. And I feel bad for thinking that, because I was willing to die for Manny. I was willing to lose my sanity for Manny," I took a deep breath. I was going to say something I never admitted, even in thought. "I lost both my life and my sanity, but where was he?

"With Zacky, I feel like I have a chance." Done. Like that. The unexplainable was explained.

"I know what you mean. You know, I was in the same situation before turning too. I was in love with Colon's captain, who was like ten years older than me. Of course, it was ok to dig guys older than you back then. But when I met Alex, who was only a year or so older than me, I knew that even though what the captain and I felt was mutual until I met Alex, Alex was someone that if he went away from my life, I would not cry, but I would miss him, and if I ever saw him again, I would throw myself at him, begging me to take me back. Sound familiar?"

"Not really. But I know what you mean," I said. I had the feeling she was exaggerating things, in case my feelings were stronger than hers.

"Ha. You're quick to catch on," she said, knowing when she bluffed that I would know—well the not crying part.

"Well, what do you know. We're in front of your house. Be careful in there. The person who died in there used to be our boss. And he died not very happy with us."

"Huh?"

"We had a boss, two hundred years ago. Dustin and Matt will say he was their boss too, because anyone in our Cult is somehow hated by the old bastard. Don't push him. And I know you want to tell your kid brother. He will know. Children are smart like that. Tell him when you know he won't judge you. You'll know, instinctively, just like you'll know how to lie. But back to Malvoro. Be careful. He knows how to manipulate vampires. Oh. One thing for sure. Zacky is more than two hundred years old. I met him through this boss."

"You did? So I'm going out with an old perv?" I ask, joking. Well. She catches on too.

"Ahaha. Yes. I would say he might be older than me, since he seems to know many languages, even dead ones. That would explain why he knows Spanish, English, Italian, French…etc."

"Then why is he in Spanish class?"

"He's excellent with accents. Better than all the drama classes combined into one person."

"You praise him a lot," I said, with no hint of jealousy. I fooled her there. She did not catch it. But I can be extremely jealous.

She laughed. "When you know someone for two hundred years, like Alex, Con, and Zacky, you tend to find things you can praise them for. This Cult is the only cult I have grown close to," she said matter-of-factly. "Can Leslie call you? I'm sure she'll want to discuss this situation."

"Oh. For sure. When can she call me? I want to fix this as soon as possible too."

"She can call you the minute you touch your door step. She can hear that, if I tell her to concentrate."

"Alright. I'm going to take a shower first though. I'm not sure if I smell dead or something, but I won't risk it."

"Alright. Don't take too long. She plans to leave the Cult. And like I said, if she leaves, I leave." I knew she wouldn't want to leave Alex, but like Jenovicia from Bad Girls said "Bros Before Hos." Not that Alex is a ho. I would hope not.

"Alright. She won't listen to you, huh?"

"No. Which is why I convinced her to talk to you as soon as you were home, or got comfortable at home. I'll tell her to call you in two hours. Be ready by then. Bye Raechel," she said. I was walking to the door while she was telling me, but I heard everything like she was talking right next to me.

"Bye," I said, softly. No doubt she heard.

As soon as I got out of the shower and was clothed and comfortable, the phone rang. I picked up, right when I heard the telephone line jacking up.

"Leslie," I said.

"Raechel," she said.

"Leslie," I repeated.

"Raechel," and with that we both cracked up. Why? Who knows. Maybe because we were immature about who was going to start the conversation. I decided to start it first.

"We obviously need to talk about a certain plan Zacky has in mind for some time now," I said.

"No doubt. I just need to know if it's true." I knew what she meant. If it was true that I had no feelings for Manny, and my feelings were only for Zacky.

"Look, I can guarantee you. I have no personal interest in getting Manny back. I know everything now."

"Yes. I know. Victoria told me. But how can I be sure you're not using Zacky to get to Manny? It's not Manny I'm worried about as much as Zacky. I have known him for two hun-"

"I know. And no. I don't get into a relationship unless I am up for a serious one."

"How can I know that for sure?"

"Leslie," I sighed. "I care for Zacky. A lot. I had decided that I would never again fall for a boy, but Zacky changed my mind. I know it didn't take much, but what I'm trying to say is that he managed to go through the obstacle I set up for him. I can see myself with him when cars hover, and when genetics are synthetically made, and when man finds the Garden of Eden."

"Nerdy."

Gah. I know. I said the first thoughts that came into my head, and they were more embarrassing than what Victoria and I talked about combined.

"Nerdy. So…I believe you. Think you can come for a meeting today? The Theater?"

I was excited that I knew the code name for the humongous house I just came from without anyone telling me.

"Yea. One question: What is the name of the other coven?"

"What?"

"Hmmm. Must have been an empty house…" I said, not sure anymore if this was the secret I wasn't supposed to tell to any other soul -or lack thereof.

"Maybe. Dustin likes to show off, and say things are his, when in reality, they're someone else's. Look. I know there is another coven for Zacky and the others, and Victoria and myself don't know about its location. That we know. What we can't know, is its location. And if we find out, by anyone, we are to tell Zacky. And I don't know if you know, but he is one vampire you don't want to mess with. Dustin and Matt are lucky to not have seen that side of him, since we didn't need to fight as mush during the fifties."

"I know."

"Wow. He really _is_ ruthless. You know he liked you from the first time he laid eyes on you, right?" This felt like gossiping. But hey, I'm still - was - just recently human.

"I had a feeling something like that was going on," I said. Which is the truth.

She heard it, since she went on, "I'm starting to think he only talked to you like that when you were still human. To see if you were willing to trust him. Who knows. I don't know how old he really is. No one seems to know. Not even Victoria, and she's an excellent information gatherer." I added that mentally. _Don't bother love. You gather what you don't know about her. By the way. I am from Marco Polo's time, the thirteenth century. You can tell Victoria and Leslie that, if you want._

How it was he heard me thinking is a mystery, but maybe I just slacked off in closing my mind. _I won't tell them. I like knowing something about you that no one else knows_._ How is it that you have not turned one person for all these…eight hundred years?_

_Easy. Kill them before they have the chance, or tell them to go to sleep when they feel like closing their eyes. Close your mind. I don't think they want me hearing this_.

And I closed my mind. No doubt he was testing me to see if I actually would, but I knew secret-telling when it happened.

"I see,' I say, without any interruption to the flow of the conversation. I was glad I am now a vampire. I could concentrate on more than one thing at a time.

"Yes," she said wearily. Could she know I was lying? No. Victoria herself said that I would know what lies to say, and I knew how to pick out a lie from the truth, if enough evidence was given to me.

"Well, I have to go. I must feed. Bye Raechel. I'll see you tonight," and with that, Leslie hung up.

Nine vampires. Nine chances. Nine problems. No doubt the meeting would start at nine. How to leave without my baby brother not noticing. Something clicked. Now was the perfect chance to tell my kid brother what I am now.


	7. Debriefing

Chapter Seven

Debriefing

Tasting dinner, I felt it weird that I could eat it, being a vampire, and now that I have superb senses, everything tasted incredibly good. Or tasted incredibly horrible.

Lucas kept looking at me, and only talked to me when necessary, and even then, careful at what he said.

I couldn't take it anymore, and excused myself. I didn't like eating with the family anyways.

"Raechel?" It was Lucas. I sat up, looking at him trying to pick me out from the shadows. I slowly raised my left hand as if to wave hello.

"Hey baby."

"Raechel. Are you a monster?"

"No baby. I would never hurt you. And I would never let anything hurt you. I swear to G-"

"Please don't swear Raechel. What are you now?" he asked, still in the door way.

I could finally feel tears, and I knew. Vampires were not emotional afterwards, but when they were, the emotion was strong.

"Baby…I'm…a vampire," I said, ready to see him volt downstairs and demand to be moved back to his old room. Instead he came up to my bed, and hugged me.

I hugged him back. It was a tight grasp, but not tight so as to crush him.

"Raechel…he will try to kill you," he said. I knew who he meant. Malvoro. He now had a name. If only there was some Death Note somewhere nearby.

"I know. The others are going to try to help me rescue an old friend, and see if they can help me with this nuisance."

"Can I come with you?" he asked, excited, for some reason. I thought of all the movies available, and thought about it.

_What if they don't want him coming to the Coven?_

_Take him. I won't hurt him. And he sounds excited. Tell him we have Power Rangers, and Transformers, and Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles_, he thought. No doubt smiling.

_Thanks love._

_No problem. Don't let Malvoro hurt you, or your kid brother. He knows about us now, and Lucas can be hurt._

_I'd rather…alright. I'll bring him over._

_Love you_…

_I…love you too._

Why is it so hard to still admit something like that? Was I _really_ in love? Was _he_ really in love? How could I be so sure? Manny had said he loved me, and it turned out he never really did. He cared for me, but that was about it.

I decided to risk my heart. One last time.

"Lucas, how would you like to see TMNT in a big screen TV?" I asked.

"You're the best!" he said, and kissed me.

No doubt I was cold, because he shivered upon making contact. But he smiled, and kissed me again.

My brother.

The little one, the one who understood the most.

The one who needed the least explaining.

The one who is only two.

Any more adorable and I could eat him up.

Puns are horrible when you intend them as rhetorical, or not having a double meaning. But what can you do but laugh?

Nine is Lucas's bedtime, but he was "sleepy" by eight thirty. By eight forty five, my mother and father went to Tijuana, because a family friend was deported, and they were going to pick up the baby that had papers. No doubt they were going to stay overnight.

Jazzmin left ten minutes after they were gone, off to the long awaited party.

Five minutes after she left, I carried Lucas. He weighed _nothing_. I felt nothing, except the brushing his clothes and handmade when he moved.

I didn't take the car. Too much noise. I ran. And besides, I saw that running was faster than any car. Which made it exhilarating, and my heart beat at a nice pace. About fifteen beats per minute.

The Cult arrived at the same time as I did, with only Zacky, Con and Alex waiting for a while. No doubt there was a hierarchy.

No one was surprised to see my kid brother. They all looked at him, and the little booger got shy, hiding behind my leg

I knew Zacky just came up to me to hug me, and to smile at Lucas, but Lucas immediately began to whimper. Zacky, also as immediately, backed off, only getting to hug and kiss me.

"Lucas," I whispered, even though I knew they could hear us, "do you want the vampires to think you're a wuss?"

"No," he whimpered. I felt sad for him. I knew he wanted to be strong, but he was too scared.

"You wanna watch the Power Rangers?" asked Con, who looked friendly enough. I smiled gratefully at him, knowing he is being patient with Lucas.

Lucas's head snapped up, and he brightened up at the mention of his favorite show. Con offered his hand to Lucas, and he took it; Con led the way to the living room, where the Power Rangers theme could be heard immediately.

Zacky got closer to me the second Lucas was away, and hugged me. Before he hugged me, I could see that he was jealous of Con.

_Why him?_

_Don't worry. You moved too fast._

_He sure saw that fast._

_Heightened senses love. He'll get around._

_I hope so_.

I looked at him squarely, and saw that his eyes were still too deep, still too disconcerting for me to look at a long time. But he looked like he did care what my brother thought of him. Usually boys do that to get you laid, but I knew that Zacky actually cared. Actually valued my brother's feelings, and wanted him comfortable in his presence. And besides, we were both vampires now, so he didn't have the advantage anymore.

"Let's get this show on the road," said Matt.

Zacky sighed. No doubt he usually fixed a problem first before moving on to the next one. He is like Shikamaru Nara from Naruto. An expert in strategy, and always ahead of his game. You could see his planning expertise by the list he had made, by the different plan he already had if I were to say no.

"Alright. Well. Raechel was able to completely turn into one of us, so the next step is…" he said while he took out the list. "The next step is to now -no, we already debunked any rumors- alright. Now we have to find out exactly where Manny is.

"We know that he is in the next village, and the people who have him say he is a vampire, but cannot prove it, since he does not burst into flames at the touch of sunlight. He also does not behave differently with a cross put across his chest. But they saw him feed. And that is enough evidence for that clan. We need to move fast."

"Victoria and I can distract. And if Raechel wants, she can too," said Leslie.

"No. These men are orthodox. No matter how beautiful you ladies are, they will 'fight temptation.'"

"Then how are we going to get in?" I asked.

"We wait for the sun. We go in, ask if we can use a phone, and while he makes sure we teenagers are not making prank calls, two of us will go to the dungeon, where they seem to have him momentarily."

"How can you be sure?" I asked. I seemed to be the only one questioning him. Everyone else seemed to accept everything he said.

"Well. I went last week, with Con and Alex. We found him. He hasn't…rested in a while, so he is tired. For about three months, he was in hiding, and three weeks ago, he was caught by the orthodox village when he tried to feed."

I could not help but notice that he was caught nearby here right when I was supposed to be entering school here. I had remembered to close my mind, so my thoughts were safe, but even though I pondered about that, it did not bring the confusion I thought would come. Thankful, I sat closer to Zacky, and he held my hand.

"Three weeks?" asked Leslie. Had she thought about the same thing? Suddenly, it seemed like every one thought the same thing, now that I was there, in their presence, the idea was easier to believe. _Maybe Manny still had feelings for Raechel_.

No way. And even if that were the case, the feelings were not mutual. Those feelings went to Zacky now, because he…well. I don't know. He is everything I like in a guy. He is self assertive, his own leader, caring, serious. And as if that weren't enough, he is handsome. Extremely. Not that Manny wasn't -isn't, whatever- but Zacky just has the handsome I like.

My thoughts weren't hidden. I didn't mean to, but I'm starting to think that when he or I felt nervous, our thoughts opened up, without knowing, until the other one answered.

_I think you're right love. And by the way, I like how you think I will be better for you than thinking who has been better_. And with that, he gave me a quick kiss.

"Cute," said Leslie, her way of saying we were still in good terms.

Lucas came running into the room, and was practically dancing.

"Raechel! Raechel! They have Slipknot 9.0 Live!" That's right. I made him learn good music first before my sister showed him the crappy Chicano Rap that gave Chicano Rap a bad name.

He sat in my lap, which consisted of Lucas having physical contact with Zacky. Zacky pulled away his hand, in case Lucas got scared, but Lucas looks at him, and says, "Is it true you met the band?" He talked to Zacky like he has known him all his life.

Zacky looks at Con while saying yes.

Lucas, in his excitement grabs Zacky's hand, and tries to drag him to the living room.

Zacky lets himself be led to the living room, where he puts the DVD into the player. I sat next to Lucas, but what he says next leaves my mouth open.

"Scoot. I want to sit next to your boyfriend."

"And why is that you booger?" I said, after I composed myself. I had just cleared my feelings, and here was my kid brother, trying to get in the way, like always.

"I…want to make up for being a wuss," he whispered. _But everyone can hear you_, I wanted to say.

"Alright," I whispered back, "but he's in the middle between you and me."

"I want to be in the middle!" he whined, no longer whispering.

"I'll carry you on my lap," I offered.

"Fine."

Zacky sat down next to me, and held my shoulder while we watched the concert. He eyed Lucas, and Lucas looked at him, and they both smiled at each other, though Zacky made sure not to smile to big. You know, because of teeth and whatnot.

Lucas seemed to be comfortable around all of us, and I wondered what Con had done to him.

Con mumbled, so that we can all hear, excluding Lucas.

"I told him Zacky is your boyfriend, and he demanded to know about him. He stopped me the moment I said he has met with Slipknot. I couldn't even tell him about Pantera, or Slayer, or Every Time I Die," said Con.

"Don't tell him," I mumble, careful not to talk to where Lucas might feel it.

"So, did he say why he was willing to know about me?" asked Zacky. I could tell. He wanted to know. Badly.

"He just said that whatever Raechel did, she would know why, and that he would respect anything she decided to do," said Con. "Does that sound like a two year old?"

"No," I said. "Not at all. But then again, he is my brother, and I teach him what he needs to know."

And with that we cracked up. Lucas looked up, knowing we just had a conversation, and he didn't get to hear any of it.

He scowled, and made an angry face. Zacky took a chance, and took his hand. Lucas did not pull back. He held it back.

"Would you like to meet them someday?"

Lucas nodded, and he said something that made my spine tingle.

"When I grow up, I want to be a vampire."

This is worse than any joke I have made. This was not funny. My foot tapping stopped immediately. I did not want to imagine him feeding on kids that are his age right now—or ever. I shook my head no, ending all discussion.

And Lucas would never know why.

So we moved on, and kept watching Slipknot 9.0, hoping Lucas would grow out of it by the time he would see me again in a couple years; if I leave, must I protect my family.

You see, Manny's situation was a tough one. If we escaped, should the plan fail, we were going to get out of Mainy, and maybe even out of California in general.

And if we fail, Manny was going to crack, and if he felt tired enough, he might give out the other coven's location. And that was something none of us was willing to risk, even those who didn't know about it. Because if Manny is pulled out successfully, they would all know where it was. And they would all, somehow be in the same level as Zacky Con and Alex.

But if he is willing to tell, we were going to knock him out. Put him to sleep. No sedative needed. Hardy har har.

And to think. We planned this thing while watching Slipknot 9.0.

Thank God vampires can spread their attention to several things at once, or we wouldn't have heard my parents' car pull out on the driveway at two in the morning.

Lucas was asleep long by then. The problem is: Would I make it to my room without being seen?

Well, yes.

I _am_ a vampire for heaven's sake.


	8. Week One

Chapter Eight

Week One

With the plan set, and everyone agreeing, it was decided that we would continue going to school, and act as if nothing happened. People feared us after the fight, and the one girl I whooped up badly wouldn't come ten yards near me. Good thing I guess. If she did, I might have had her as a snack.

Nobody knew about the fight, except the people in it, or the people that were in detention, but seeing their bloody friends and/or enemies, they knew who won.

In Algebra, Ms. Bitch From Hell (I never really found out her name. I didn't bother) was gone for the rest of the semester, which suit me fine. A nicer, better teacher replaced her; and because Con and I were the ones farthest from other people, everyone came to sit next to us. This class was simple. I had taken it last year, but because of my laziness I had to take it again. Which suit me fine. I knew the material.

While everyone except Leslie was here, I knew she could hear us. Again, the school is divided into eight sections, and everybody in math was in the same building, and Leslie has Geometry in the class right next to us. Literally. Only a wall separated us. Which suits us fine.

We hear Zacky using his incredible strategies, and looking at the plan -and its flaws- from every vantage point, he decided that Manny has not yet released any information, because at least one of us would be caught.

"Even me?" I asked. No way he would know that I am now a vampire.

"Yes. Remember, the police here don't like gang activity, and we have been suspected of being one. Didn't Dustin explain this to you?" said Zacky.

"Yes. But how would-" and it hit me. "Oh. All they would have to do is go to the police, and maybe get some file from them giving names?"

"You're catching up," he said. Grr. "And no maybes. They are willing to lie, cheat, steal, or even kill. These are Orthodox. Remember that. And _always_ be careful when you walk alone. If anything, walk with Lucas, or your sister."

"I will not put my family in danger," I said levelly.

"You have two families now. One that will eventually all die, and one that will later, rather than sooner, perish to exist. Take your pick at family," he said.

I did not like the way he said it. So bluntly. So carelessly. But then again, that was the "self-assertive" and "strong" thing I was talking about

"I will not put any of my families in danger. I'll drive my parents' car, or just ask them to do me favors, but I will _not_ put them in danger."

"Do as you wish, as long as it doesn't put all of _us_ in danger. Dustin, you and Matt will go with Leslie and Victoria to the stand I told you about so that you can distract as many of them as you can, while Con, Alex, Rae-" he stopped.

"No," mumbled Leslie. "I want to go into the chamber."

"Alright. So Matt and Dustin take Victoria and Raechel. Con, Alex, Leslie, and myself will go into the chamber and find Manny. Agreed?"

"Yes," the rest of us said.

We turned in the test we were taking and then remained quiet.

_Raechel._

_What?_

_Understand, please. You can't just worry about one thing._

_You make it seem like my family is going to die any moment._

_Well, they're human. You never know. But that is not what I mean. And you know it._

_You don't take into consideration that my family is still alive, don't you? Let me guess. You were turned in China._

_Close. Japon._

_Oh my God_. I didn't close my mind, like I would have, to make that comment. My facial expression must have been one of disgust, because I hear his thoughts again

_Raechel._

Nothing.

_Raechel. Listen. Well, you are. No, I did not get turned into a vampire with my family around. I did not see them again._

_It's easier for you, isn't it? Zacky, I _do_ have my family alive, and I don't intend on changing that anytime soon._

_I know. Just -please- listen, digest what I'm saying. I have to care for everyone, not just you. As soon as Manny is released, everyone will know the location of the second coven, and here, they can make alliances with other vampires around the vicinity-_

_You mean there are _more_?_

_Don't be naïve love. I'm talking about the county, and the ones that surround it. A one hundred mile radius, about. Once as _soon_ as the operation is complete, I can put more attention for you._

_It's not the attention, it's the way you push my family aside. I know that you have to do that to protect the others, but _don't_ make me chose._

He sighed audibly. I had somehow managed to tune out everything around me, something I have not been able to do. I look around, the place is half empty, and I realized the bell had rung. So much for multitasking.

"I will never make you chose. But know that you have two families," said Zacky. He seemed to debate about whether to give me a kiss, so I give him one. He hugs me tightly, and as hard as I try, I cannot help but feel like I want this moment to last forever. _It can_.

"Now, for Biology," he said, and we walked together. Biology, although we arrived seconds before the bell rang, was pretty empty. Very few were actually in here.

"That is strange," I mumbled. "Why do you think so many are gone?"

"Who knows. Maybe they are being held by a teacher," he said, though that was not it. Even the teacher wasn't here, and he usually is, which made me feel like maybe the Orthodox had gotten to the police. But where were they?

_Surrounding us_.

We sped past the room, and heard Con mumble, telling us to go to the H building.

We arrived in no time. Nobody except us were there, since the others were running at a human pace.

They did not want to get caught, except Leslie, who would have risked all of our existences to find out what happened.

"Leslie," sighed Zacky. "You know you were going past the speed limit, right?"

"Sorry boss," she said, funny one moment, and as soon as those words left her mouth, she went back to dead serious --no pun intended. "I hope you planned for when the Orthodox would spring on us quickly?"

"Zacky," Alex called out as soon as he was in the building. "They caught Victoria," he said, with an infectious vehemence.

"What?!" screamed Leslie. "Where?"

"Probably taken to Manny," said Alex, defeated. He seemed to be blaming himself, and I could not blame him. But it did not mean he should.

"We'll get the people who got her," Zacky promised. "For now, we will go where Manny is being held, rescue him, and feed him quickly.

"What about Victoria?" asked Alex, quietly, and slowly, showing that she was now number one priority.

"He's right Zacky. We need to get her back to have leverage."

"Manny first; infiltrate the Orthodox village, and hear where she is being held," I said.

By then, Dustin, Matt, and Con had arrived. They all looked at me incredulously.

"Alright," said Alex, and began to get up. We quickly followed. Escaping school is easy, since the bell had already rung, and everyone was in class already.

We reached the village, and did everything in the plan. We saw Manny, and wow, did he need to feed. He looked emaciated. We gave him his guard, who slept right in front of him. He looked better already.

Dustin was still calling "his mother" by the time the others had rescued Manny.

As soon as he saw me, he froze.

_Oh God_, I heard Zacky say.

"Raechel?" asked Manny incredibly.

"Hi, Manny," I said, a little awkwardly, because he kept staring at me, as if maybe those months together so very long ago meant something.

His staring made me uncomfortable. And I turned to Zacky, who made his way to me, and almost grabbed my hand.

"Dustin, Raechel, please go and see if Victoria is in any of these dungeons."

"I'll go with," said Manny.

_Ah, fuck_, I thought.

_Are you getting confused?_ asked Zacky.

_No. I'm sure of what I feel. It's just that…I was getting along with Leslie, and I don't want this to go back to square one._

"I'll go," said Alex, ending any discussion.

We quickly investigate, and my mind is so confused, can't actively hope for anything. Well, maybe hope that my emotions for a certain boy would not come back when another certain boy took all my love capacity.

I left my mind open, with no thought to close it, since I didn't want Zacky to think I was hiding something from him.

I could hear everything he was thinking, and it was not positive.

_God, what have I done? What if she goes back with him? What will I do? Should I leave? Should I make her chose? Will she hate me for that? Will Lucas like Manny more than me?_

The thought that cared about Lucas made me almost smile.

_You have the advantage. You have met Slipknot, you have held his hand, you have told him the truth, and you have treated him like a little brother. Manny bought him stuff, gave him piggy back rides—_

_Oh, like that is supposed to help me feel better. That he likes me for knowing bands—_

_And not making fun of him because he was a wuss. He made a shitload of fun of him for that, and that was one of the things I always wished he would never do. You are perfect—_

_Then why would you be confused?_

_Because…I don't like the way he looked at me._

And then, I felt like maybe we wouldn't work out.

It only looked good because he made me, and was brave enough to make the moves on me, but after a trivial thing, he'd be insecure. I thought he was self confident.

_I'm…scared of losing _you_, not self confidence._

"I found Victoria," I said, looking in the closet of an unlikely room. She had something in her vein, and it looked like it was about to get ready to pour something in her. Like a laxative.

I quickly took it out, and slapped her hard. Someone grabbed my hand, no doubt Alex.

"That won't be necessary," he said, gravely.

I look at her, and rebut. "It will be extremely necessary," and elude his grasp, making Victoria sit up straight, and slap her face one more time.

She blinks heavily a couple of times, and I could almost see bruises, except for the fact that the blood was almost useless from how old it was.

"Victoria!" screams Leslie, upon seeing her.

"Leslie? Raechel? Alex?" she said, waking up a bit more as she spoke. She clung to Alex, and I smiled at them, and left.

I was intending on going to Zacky, but I could tell Leslie was only accompanying me to see to it.

I reach the first level, and Dustin is starting the car with Matt, who knew enough to finally not joke today, which would have only made things destructably worse.

"Raechel," said Zacky, relieved.

"I'm okay," I say calmly.

"Alex sounded like he wanted to slap you right back. And it sounded like he did," explained Manny, no doubt hearing the anxiety in Zacky's voice.

"So this is the connection you felt? Huh," he said. _Oh my God. So _literally_ the first time you saw me like Leslie said?_ I asked Zacky.

_Yes._

"And what about you? Did you feel the connection too?" he asked angrily.

"I do now. And besides, you knew this was going to happen," I said, as levelly as I could, since I felt like any moment now, he would leave and do something stupid. He _was_ and angry person, from when I knew him.

"You told me you would lose your health and sanity for me. Apparently, it was all a lie."

"Are you madder at the fact that I _was_ able to move on, or the fact that when I did lose all that, you still weren't here?"

Leslie stood there quietly, but I almost felt angry for her. She rescued the guy she loved, and the fucker was more concerned with his pride. How could I have not seen that before? Was I that blind? _No_, Zacky said. _He is just different from the treatment_, he said. That didn't convince me.

"I'm mad at the fact that one of my _friends_ did not care to mention that he had a thing for my girlfriend and that he planned on taking her from me." _No, I never meant that—_he thought, more towards Manny than me, I was sure, because he was looking at Manny, not at me.

"Is that all?" I asked, and Manny knew what I meant.

He sighed. "Yes, of course. I came to know Leslie much better than ever before and…" he seemed to feel awkward to say it.

"Say it Manny. Just let the past be what it is: the past," I said.

He nodded. "Knowing Leslie better in one of the best things to happen to me," he said, looking at Leslie with endearment that almost created nostalgia. Nostalgia not wanted, since whom I have now likes me for the messed up person I am, as well as the sane person I am becoming.

_I don't like you_, said Zacky. _I love you_. And with that, he kissed me, in front of the friend whose girlfriend he took away and created into a vampire.

What drama. And I didn't even know I was part of such complicated drama.

But in the end, it tasted very sweet. And maybe a little bit bloody as well.

* * *

I have not looked at it since I last typed this like...a year ago. I just occasionally edit the first chapter, and then go to other stuff.

Well, I know there will be about a hundred thousand accumulative mistakes because I was worse at grammar a year ago than today.

I would also like to know if someone wants to help me with ideas, since, well, I kept tweaking it so much last year that it would hardly make sense to me.

For now, I hope you enjoyed what I have so far and tell me how you would like to see it continue, or if it should even continue.


	9. After

Chapter Nine

After

Manny was back at Mainy High, and very welcome, especially by the girls. We were gone for not even a class period, which when I recall, still amazes me. Yea, I have been a vampire for a few weeks and everything, but I couldn't believe something so complicated could be done so quickly.

Everyone, as was agreed, knew the location of "the second coven," which _I_ later found out was just Dustin's house. Everyone's eyes bulged at finding this out.

We have all been to Dustin's once or twice, and no one said a thing. From starting realization, we went to plain annoyed. Yea, I knew the location; just not that Dustin lived there.

As Zacky promised, he gave me his complete attention. Oh Lord…not one class period would go by that we wouldn't talk to each other. Compared to how much attention he gave me now, two days ago seemed like a lack of attention, which was not.

I was able to tell that Manny was having a hard time adjusting to thinking of me and Zacky that way, but I couldn't care. I felt like Zacky and I belonged together since day one…even _his_ day one, which was about seven hundred years ago. Through our minds, I could tell he felt the same way, and that made me extremely happy. He could literally feel my excess happiness, which made _him_ happy; which made _me_ happy that he was happy, and on and on and on…We were basically two love-struck teenagers. I seriously think people puked at how lovey-dovey we got at times, or how hot our make-out sessions were, or how we would smile like dumbasses while doing a presentation. They knew what we were really thinking about, and no doubt they wondered how we managed to talk flawlessly for our reports.

Lucas saw my happiness. At first, he was a bit jealous. He figured out that Zacky and I talk with each other with our minds: telepathically.

He constantly wanted to know what we were talking about. He constantly wanted to make sure he talked to me with "respect," aka no dirty, sexy promises of…_sigh_. Might as well keep it Rated…well, bearable, right?

At first we couldn't see why Lucas would worry. We were so busy _feeling_ lucky, happy, euphoric, that our bodies were intoxicated with too much emotions to actually respond that way.

Well, I'll have to ask Lucas when he suddenly saw our change of mood. Was it that I made faces? Or bit my lip as he told me? _Oh fuck. If I did that in my own house…then I do that at school too!_ I thought.

_We must both think that way in class then_, Zacky reassured me.

_Well, it is okay for _you_ to look that way, you're a guy._

_That might have been the most insulting thing you have told me since we met._

_No, I'm simply reporting typical high school stereotypes, which you fit so rightly._

_It's not my fault you like what I tell you Raechel. Hmm, you'd fit the female vampire stereotype perfectly._

I would have blushed had I had a good…feast. This bloods coursing through me made me tired as hell, and I knew Zacky would be feeling tired too.

_I wouldn't. I don't have anything leather_, I told him, just so that he would not win an argument. Well, that and the fact that he _always_ waited for my reply, staying silent for as long as five minutes once.

Having a whole week of twenty four hours a day seven days a week kind of attention, five minutes felt like attention deprivation.

_I have some_, he told me, getting past the usual reserve he had whenever I was home.

"Raechel…tell Zacky to stop telling you whatever he is telling you. You look like you might…be hungry," my baby brother told me warily. He had stopped being scared of me since I brought him to meet the group, but he still warily told me things about any unnatural expression on my face. Obviously, no (hot, sexy, goddamn wonderful) guy (like Zacky) told me such things when I was at home. Not even on the phone, and perverts have always taken to call me and tell me that they can make my dreams come true. At the time, I thought my dreams were accomplished by Manny, and I would laugh at them for suggesting something like that. I would always figure out who called, and would humiliate him. Once, a total nerd talked so dirty to me that when I came up to him to tell him to stop telling me how he will make me scream, his reputation changed. He was the scary nerd guy now. No girl would be seen close to him, in fear of being told something dirty…and probably fearing they might get turned on. Haha. Just the thought of that would make me laugh. Funny thing is, I was usually a nobody in that school...

The thought that Lucas saw my hungry expression –yes, it _was_ a hungry expression, but not the way he thought—calmed me down.

_I'm sorry love. I can't._

_Lucas?_

_Yea._

_Ah, darn. Well, today's Friday—_

"Raechel," Lucas warned me.

God. Why does my _two-year-old BROTHER_ have to tell _me_ about restraining myself? In like twelve years, he will be like me or Zacky, maybe even worse.

I glanced at the clock. It was barely eleven. Which meant that in any moment, Lucas would be asleep.

_Midnight?_

_Oh yes. Earlier if you can._ I could have sworn I could _feel_ Zacky wink at that.

I gave Lucas my blanket, since the thermometer read 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

By eleven twenty seven, Lucas was slightly snoring.

_Three minutes_, I thought, to no one in particular.

Eleven thirty, and I snuck out of bed. Again, since Lucas came into my room, Malvoro has not been seen by either of us.

As soon as I opened the door, there he was again, except he wasn't _ghost-like_, but actually solid. Maybe vampires can see ghosts –or whatever he was—more clearly?

I stood, looking at him, not really fearing him, because I have no relation to him whatsoever, even if he is somehow related to Zacky. He looked at me like he was willing me to go crazy.

I had already gone crazy and made it back stronger than ever, thank you very much. He would not harm my brother, because I would not allow it.

I blink, and lo-and-behold, he disappears. I leave the house, and go to Zacky's house.

Suddenly, what we were talking about earlier wasn't as intense as it was earlier. Yea, the very sight of him caused me to push aside anything else that was on my mind that second, and head towards him with the fastest normal speed I can retain, but that hungry feeling for him was lowered slightly that he could tell I was troubled after we kissed hello.

"Anything wrong?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"Your old boss," I answer, out of breath too.

"He's dead," he told me, still breathing quickly, but starting to gain its normal rate.

"Yea, I know, but I saw him –clearly. No more see-through."

He frowned, obviously seeing what I saw, and closed his eyes, as though he was tired of seeing or hearing the same thing again and again and again and again…

"We must find Scott," he finally said.

I remembered that guy Scott from the day I was turned, found out my ex was still alive, and that I had feelings…strong feelings… for Zacky.

"Why? What's wrong?" I ask, worried. We usually didn't even speak, abusing our ability to communicate telepathically, annoying everyone else.

"He might have brought Malvoro back."

"You mean like…from the dead?" I asked perturbed.

_Stupid_, I couldn't help thinking.

_Just a bit_, Zacky told me. I could see him smiling, like he was attempting not to laugh.

Funny. I'm not human anymore, but obviously my stupidity chose to come along with me.

"I mean…make him solid…make him able to actually physically harm someone?" I kept thinking of Lucas, Jazz, and my parents.

"Hey, hey, no he should not be able to harm anyone that doesn't owe allegiance to."

"Do you owe him allegiance?" I asked, though I full well knew the answer.

"Yes," was all he said.

_Will he try to hurt her to hurt me? Or will he hurt someone to hurt her to hurt me?_ I knew he had tried to close his mind, because he was thinking to himself.

All week, we hadn't bothered to close our minds because…well…we talked to each other the whole time.

Whether it was because we weren't used to closing our minds, or whether we had accidentally made the bond stronger, I don't know. All I know is that I can hear him worry, and he heard my infamous words:

_My family_.

Of course, he knew I was worrying with a cause, and he told me to go home, and check up on my family, and he would get everyone together at the theater.

I pushed my superhuman powers to the limit.

I heard everyone sleeping deeply, but I had to make sure. I had to see that they were sleeping peacefully, not sleepwalking like my old dreams showed of older people who lived here once.

They were all alright.

Of course, I saw a note, which could not have been made by a ghost, no matter how powerful. No matter, I decided. It read: _beware._

_They're all here_, Zacky told me. Then after a few moments: _Do you want me to speak on your behalf while you stay to protect your family?_

The fact that he took into consideration about my feelings for my family left my mind blank, and suddenly confused. First, he said that I had to understand that I had two families, next that one would eventually die in a few years, and finally that I should know the priorities. He could tell I was confused.

_Right now, the emergency is your family. I don't want you to lose them you know_. His honesty made me involuntarily smile. Again, I went from worried to pushing everything aside.

He is so sweet, so considerate of my worries. I tried to recall why he snapped at me all the other times. I had to admit, my concerns were misplaced. I see that clearly now. However, they are my _family_. It was an unwritten law to worry endlessly about your family.

_Thanks_, I finally told him.

Suddenly, I could hear what he was saying, what others were saying…out loud. Like I was _in_ his head…literally. I could see where he was sitting: in a dining chair. I could see that everyone else was standing up, ready for any necessary action.

Of course, I could not control where Zacky (God, I love him) would look, and he was glancing at Manny more times than necessary. Thankfully, no one noticed.

"I will speak on behalf of Raechel," he told everyone else.

"Marry her already," Matt said, jokingly. I appreciated the joke, and Zacky said, with some sarcasm, "Yea, Raechel appreciates the joke just like everyone else." I could feel him smiling, and see that everyone else was chuckling.

Everyone except Manny and Leslie.

_Oh no_, I thought. I don't want any problems with those two. It looked like they were both uncertain of how I might feel. I had the feeling they thought I kissed Zacky so feverently just to make Manny jealous or something.

Zacky could hear all these thoughts, even when _I_ had attempted to close my mind.

_Leslie came up to me two days after the rescue. She worried I was your "rebound."_

_Are you worried?_ I knew he wouldn't be. He had heard my every thought for the past few days.

_Not a bit_. I smiled. _If I could kiss you right now…_ I thought.

"Are you two having a different conversation in there?" Leslie asked, teasingly enough. Yea, she is an outstanding liar, but I could pick out a liar anywhere.

"I'm sorry. We'll try to see it won't happen again," Zacky said, still in his humorous mood. His mood was just too infectious that I laughed a little too.

"So, what is wrong? Is Raechel okay?" Alex asked after everyone was done making fun of us. Pshh. Why they made fun of us and not Alex and Victoria, I don't know.

My wonderful, amazing, outstanding, funny, incredible boyfriend because serious. Zacky had one word in mind, and it was the only thing he said: "Malvoro."

* * *

Okay, the beginning was done...also a year ago. Hopefully the transition of one year ago versus...ahem...today is not obvious.

For those who have read my other stories (Ahem: Michel's Perspective and How Strange)...you might recognize where I started to pick up?

Review :)


	10. Wandering Thoughts

Chapter Ten

Wandering Thoughts

"Wait. What?" Leslie asked. Victoria's head jerked up worried. Everyone else stayed calm.

Their serenity would have made me shudder a year ago. Today, I remained as calm as them. I should have reacted in some way. My heartbeat could have increased a minuscule, but it didn't. I should have felt anger, but I didn't. I should have felt desperation, but I didn't.

All I thought about was my well-being. Right now, I needed to worry about myself and Lucas and, of course, my wonderful-amazing-incredible-blah-di-blah-di boyfriend. But you see the funny thing is that I hardly care for myself. I mean, I have treated my hair worse than the Nazis treated the Jews, worse than Stalin treated his own people, worse than the American society treated the Vietnam Veterans when they had just come back. I have nearly destroyed my whole sense of being. That was why I went to the hospital almost a year ago now. That is why I thought my life was over, and death was the only solution.

Why was I worrying about myself when right now the most important people for me are Zacky and Lucas? Really, we could have been a family. Lucas turned three a month ago, and we went all out: We bought him that mega-slurpee. Ha ha. Well, I bought him the mega-slurpee. Zacky wanted to buy him some expensive fun-inducing apparatus. I quickly said no to the idea.

We _were_ thinking of taking him to see a band or something in a concert, but that could prove dangerous for him. I mean, he just turned three. To make sure some pervert didn't try to take him away from us and restrain ourselves as humanly possible would be _im_possible. In the end, I convinced Zacky to get him "at least" a DS. _I_ don't have a DS. Why does he get to have one? Why did _he_ almost get that three hundred dollar thingy? God, my mind has not been in its right place lately.

The unlimitations always came with a price, and lately, Zacky and I have refrained from taking anyone's blood.

Remembering that little kid I just selfishly drank from made me think it could have been Lucas. Call me overprotective, but like I said, my brother is basically my kid. My parents work their asses off, and the costs here are higher than our old town, but it was definitely worth it. It _is_ definitely worth it. Anyways, they are now working double shifts (yea, that's how broke we are right now) since my hospital bills weren't covered by our genius health insurance.

They only come home to sleep.

I am kind of jealous of them. They get to sleep. I haven't slept in a long time.

If only I could sleep…just a little…

_Raechel? She's falling asleep!_

* * *

I know I never write anything this short, but my mind has been as dead as Raechel's. Hopefully I can think of an awesome way to make it up to you.


	11. Just Useless Thoughts

Chapter Eleven

[Just Useless Thoughts]

Is it possible I am dreaming? I haven't dreamt in a long time, and this sure feels good. I feel as if I am getting the rest I need, and nothing can stop me from getting a recharge of life. Lucas was left in the bed while I was listening to Zacky's conversation with the—

Hmm…_am_ I asleep? If I know that for sure they are a coven, then doesn't that make me part of it? But that would mean…I can't fall asleep.

_Did you just give me blood?_ I mentally screamed at them, since I was too weak to actually say anything.

_No, you somehow just acted strictly on instincts, and well…attacked someone_, I heard the love of my eternal existence tell me.

"She's waking up," I heard someone say. I didn't bother to cognitively try to recognize the voice. Someone was hurt because of me. Who? Who? Who?

_Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who?_ Was all I could ask, and soon, I must have sounded like a motherfucking owl. Hoot, hoot, hoot, hoot.

_Calm down, Raechel. She's okay…but…she…well…you attacked her in a way that you got the consumption you needed, but left her to turn. She's one of us now hon,_ he told me patiently.

Oh God, why didn't they get rid of her and me then?

I couldn't feel any emotion correctly. You know, like happy, or sad, or angry at myself and the others.

"She's awake?" I heard Manny ask. Oh dear. I heard concern in his voice, and hoped without words that he was just worried because I was his friend. I felt jealous too…though I don't know why. It wasn't necessarily jealousy…more of a _back off_ feeling which even _then_ had no reason to be here. I mean, I am offensive, but I try not to let it get to me.

"Yea, she's starting to regain full consciousness," Zacky told him, using very correct terms. Wow, how I love my boyfriend. I think I deify him, as for some selfish reason, I deified myself a couple says ago.

"How do you know?" Manny asked. So…I wasn't making any visible improvements. Oh dear. I wondered how crappy I must look like to get people worried.

Anger shot through me at thinking this. Feelings like _nonsense _and_ beautiful _and_ gorgeous_ came to mind. I didn't know what was going on, but thinking selfishly made me feel horrible. I am one of those people who can't think of myself. I always think of others, and somehow in one night, I attacked someone, left my little brother in the hands of Malvoro, and think vainly of myself. Maybe being a vampire is not something I should have become.

"What's wrong Zacky?" Manny asked him, carefully, as if his expression was one to fear, which it was, but I knew he would never intend it to his friends.

"She's thinking that being a vampire isn't the best idea for her, or Lucas," he said, each word said slowly. I could feel the indignation he felt, and felt torn between trying to be good to people, or concentrate on being happy with those I care about.

The sudden rush that I would prefer caring about myself and those close to me hit me like a violent wave in a storm.

_You know, lately I have been thinking of myself a little too vainly_, he told me.

_Is that so? I've been thinking more vainly that you, I bet you_. I was getting stronger by the second, and I was able to open my eyes.

I expected to see Zacky by my bedside, or next to me by the floor, or wherever I was, and I didn't see him.

"Zacky?" I called out to him, through a mere whisper.

I heard some sighs of relief, and two people got up and headed to where I was: some hospital room.

It was Zacky and Con, whom I would say are my two best friends. They looked relieved, but that relieve hid their anger, I saw that too. I smiled a little while getting up, because I no longer felt the human sluggishness I was feeling right now.

"Rise and shine dumbshine," Con told me. Now that he had gotten to know more people through me, his slang was growing exponentially. Any other person intended for that, I would have laughed, but I knew I deserved it, and smiled tightly as he said.

"Yea, I know, that was dumb of me to not get anything," I told him.

"You know you just called me a dumbshine too, right?" Zacky told him sternly. I would have laughed then, but I could sense someone was going to come in, and that person was so unemotional, I would have thought it was Leslie. I saw Zacky tense a little too, as if he sensed it too, but Con showed no sign, and that made me confused. Not a second later, Con noticed our expressions, and looked at us curiously.

Before I could say anything, the steps were audible, and both showed a sign of understanding. That I was the dumb one again made me frustrated.

_It's the girl you turned_, he told me.

_Oh_, was all I could say.

Zacky hid his smile, as if he expected something else, a smarter remark than that, but I ignored it. He was someone who couldn't get me angry. God, that boy made me weak. Then the thought occurred that I made myself weak. God, I hate it when I think like that.

The girl opened the door, and I felt as if everything was going to be okay. She looked a little sick, and she squinted her eyes as if the dim lighting made her blind, but other than that, she seemed like a nice person.

And I ruined her life.

_Don't think that anymore Raechel_, Zacky told me exasperated, as if he was giving up in trying to convince me.

_I'm sorry_, was all I managed to tell him.

"Well, Raechel, this is Jane Mosley, and she just became one of us," Con told me, as cordially as can be.

The girl smiled at me, though still squinting from the light.

"I hope I didn't make it look like I had sex with you," I told her, remembering when Zacky turned me. _That_ brought our to-do list in our minds, and the feelings of guilt were slowly fading away, for which I was glad, though I did not want the world to know what Zacky and I were thinking right then and there, so I tried to stay on topic.

"No," Jane told me, not getting the joke, but knew that it was one. "You just came out of nowhere, bit my neck, got my blood and left. I did not even see you," she told me quietly. "All I knew was that I was in pain. But because it was dark, I managed to get up, though I didn't get far. Five people were already waiting for me," she said, and I knew who they would be: Zacky, Con, Dustin, Matt, and Alex.

I closed my eyes, though the guilt was quickly disappearing. "I hope they didn't scare you," I told her sincerely.

"The Alex dude did," she told me. _Goddamn Alex_, I thought, to no one in particular. Zacky could not contain his laugh, and he let a little _hmph_ escape.

"What did he do?" I asked Jane, resigned, as if we expect that from him. I have known them for a year; I knew how each one was like. True, I knew Manny a year longer than I knew everyone else, but I hardly paid that any mind. The fact that I would catch him staring at me sometimes though…I always was nonchalant on that topic.

Before Jane could answer, Alex and Victoria came in, along with everyone else. By then, I was sitting up and no longer in my undignified slump.

"Must I defend myself over something so minor?" he asked me, though it looked as if he was saying it defensively to all of us.

Jane smiled a little, but I could tell that whatever he had done, he might have admittedly gone overboard.

The ambience then became from worry of my well-being to a playful trial.

"Yes. Now, Jane, what did he do to you? Or, did he give you any threatening looks?" I asked her. I have watched many detective and law shows to know how to ask my questions.

"Well," she said, wondering which route would be safer. "I was walking, and I bumped into these five guys, and Alex" –she said the name slowly—"came up to me and told me 'that's as far as you go,'" she said, trying to imitate his voice, though failed, because her voice was just too high to match his low one.

"As threatening as that sounds, he was only making sure you don't become ravenous," I explained to her. Though I knew that when Alex was all vampire-business, he was dead serious –and I don't know how much of the pun I actually made point of—when it involved endangering their peaceful life in Mainy, which was slowly starting to get back to normal.

"Hmm," Jane said, interrupting my thoughts, as if she didn't believe what I told her. _Believe what you want_, I heard an inner voice tell me. It wasn't so much a voice, but a feeling, which would have suffices as well if I shrugged. Zacky looked at me, as if trying to hear my thoughts. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't hear his thought for a few days now, even before I went nuts.

A fear swept over me. Not a real fear, but fear that now that I didn't know half of myself, I wouldn't know me at all.

Call me obsessive, but I think my heart has been hurt enough times to not feel that Zacky was my one true love. Like so many people say OTP, whatever it truly means. This whole year after saving Manny has been amazing for Zacky and me. We were getting happier every day, and we were so used to our voices (and inner voices), that sometimes we didn't even need the physical contact, though we didn't push it too far.

Thinking it over, I felt as if there were now four pieces of me. One part was my past, as wounded and scabbed, as it was, the one "nurse" you could call is Lucas, who is another part of me. Every time I thought of him, I made myself pull together, however impossible I thought it to be five seconds earlier. One part that has grown tremendously this part year is Zacky. Yes, he is a part of me, and if he died, or left, I would be carrying a dead part of me that would infect the rest of me. The final part, which I recognized just now, was of Jane. She wasn't as old as us, maybe a freshman or sophomore this year. Admittedly, it wasn't a significant part of me, but her presence was there.

I was glad I could not hear her thoughts, because as part of me as she was, I was not fond of her. She was someone I attacked. Nothing else. I felt another sense of relief wash through me as I thought this, and something hit me: Zacky and I didn't hear our thoughts anymore because they were inconclusive. We just _felt_ what the other felt. That was why I had been thinking of myself more and more lately; that was why Zacky had been thinking of himself more and more lately. Our relationship was turning into something else, something deeper that no one, I am sure, has ever paralleled.

Upon that thought, I knew that I _could_ still hear Zacky, though that might have only been because with the beginnings of harnessing of this new communication, came the control to _balance_, even if it was still more of emotional communication than telepathy.

I was very happy for that balance. I missed his voice, and a year of constant telepathy did not want to wean for these long three months that we have not been able to hear each other as often as we would have liked.

This past year has been making me normal again, without those scars I came with, and I owed it all to Zacky.

The thought that he would leave never entered my mind, because I knew he couldn't, just like I couldn't.

And so began the new life where I was made up of four parts.

Zacky, Lucas, Jane, and myself.

* * *

You know how classics are classics because of character development?

Well, I know character development isn't as fun as the plot I have in store for you, but right now, bear with me.

The character's developments are crucial for the story to make sense. If you like these character thoughts, I hope you enjoy :)


	12. Malvoro History

**Can it be? SIX months since I've written something for this story? Be kind, and review :) I want to know if this story still has some potential, or if it should be dropped. For any of you who still stuck around, I want to thank you, with the bottom of my heart :)**

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Chapter Twelve

[Malvoro History]

"How long was I…not fully conscious?" I asked aloud, forgetting momentarily that Zacky could hear me again.

"Just the weekend," Victoria reassured me. "I called your mom and told her that we had a project we needed to do, and if you could spend the weekend at my house. She said yes."

"Of course she would. She loves _you_," Zacky told her begrudgingly. In paper, his name was Zac, but not only does this remind me of a burlap sack, I like Zacky better. Maybe it is the y, or the k. Who knows? Nevertheless, for some reason, my parents did not like Zacky, and that bugged me.

"Just because the one –or two—people not to like you happen to be Raechel's parents does not mean you have to go emo and think no one likes you," Matt piped in.

_Leave it to him to make it seem like I'm exaggerating_, I heard him think.

I was still overjoyed that we could hear each other again, and I felt the joy increase, and I realized that not only did I know I could feel him emotions, but he did too. For a second, we looked at each other with intensity, that we interrupted the conversation.

"Please," Victoria said, "Get a room." She seemed to get annoyed with how _visual_ our thinking was, which I know would disgust me if I were on the outside, but happiness long overdue was catching up to me. I finally knew what it felt like to be happy because someone was in my life. I did not have to fear of losing him, because killing vampires is already hard enough, if he died, I'd get revenge, and then, I'd join him. Those silly people who thought that if their lover died, they'd follow blindly to their own deaths are just that, silly. What happened to the old-fashioned avenged lover? _I_ found it romantic to kill your lover's death. Maybe I was just being too gory, or too violent minded, or vampirey thoughts were coming in, but whatever.

"We did have a room, you came and interrupted us," I said, now getting up, and ridding the dirt of my shirt and jeans. I wonder why America called them pants when English people refer _pants_ to _underwear_. I didn't know if any of them were European, which seems like most of them were, but I didn't want to embarrass myself by thinking underwear to them.

Zacky managed to keep a composed face while we got out of the room. It turned out it was just a very old room, a basement, of the huge house that the coven had.

"How old is this house?" I asked, because I swear, I could see early settlers living here—without the nice paintings and electricity sockets of course.

"I don't know. It was a hacienda in the late fifteen hundreds. Do you want to know who it belonged to?" Dustin asked me, being a wisecrack.

"No, thanks, I don't want to think of you guys in a new light and look for wrinkles," I said, feeling those vampire mood swings start to take effect.

"It belonged to me," Con said, smiling brightly, looking at it proudly. It took me a while to think coherently. I did not know why I was feeling nervous suddenly, because I felt Zacky get confused as to why I was worried.

_**What's wrong?**_

_I don't know. I—I don't know._

I formed the first coherent sentence I could think of. "Where's Lucas?"

"He's with his parents. It seems as if he forgot he had family other than you," Alex said.

"And you all," I added. My parents liked every single one of them, except for Zacky, just because he was my new boyfriend, and was friends with my ex. They even welcomed Manny back nicely, and taking the bogus excuse of taken into a new hospital and relapsing into several comas. (How did he not die when his body failed to function, if thinking in human anatomy terms? God, I wish my parents went to college and learned a few things). They got mad at Leslie for dating him. They did not bother to remember that just one year ago we had moved here _because_ I was too damaged to be "fit for society," and Zacky liked me, for who I am, not who I appeared to be. It was because of him that I was happy again, not the "discovery" that Manny was alive.

Zacky felt all those emotions and thoughts, and hugged me. I felt that he in turn was willing to wait for them to accept him, or if they died, well, they would know how much we love each other.

_What worries you?_ Zacky asked me again. He knew I was thinking about my parents, trying to hide my worry from him, but it still kept resurfacing.

I decided to just ask a random question. "Was Malvoro a vampire?"

"No," Victoria said, confused. The look on her face was clear: _Why would she ask questions about irrelevant issues?_

"What made him powerful enough to have you guys let him be your boss?" I asked, wording it awkwardly. I did not know how else to say it.

"It's a very long story," Con said, and as if he retold it to himself, he sat down on one of the couches, tired.

"I believe I have an eternity to hear it," I say, determined to know what that masochist must have done to get them under his wing.

"He was a –well, for lack of a better word, he is a vampire-hunter hunter. He killed the hunters when they were about to kill a vampire, and the vampire would give him servitude and protection. That is what happened with Alex, Zacky, and me."

"That wasn't that long," I retorted, quietly.

"In gossip, no," said Con loudly and defensively.

I raised my eyebrows. "It must have been hard to accept those terms, I'm taking?"

"Wait," I heard Jane say, "Who's Malvoro?" Ah, the newbie. I was finally a veteran in someone's eyes.

"The ghost that presides in this knucklehead's house," Matt said, trying to knuckle my head. Not only did it make me feel infantile, it annoyed me to no end. I did not hear myself growling until I felt its vibrations. Vampires could growl? And I only just now knew this? God, I'm _still_ a newbie.

_**We hardly do**_, I hear Zacky say. _**It's usually when we are warning something to stay away**_**.**

_You want to laugh at me, don't you?_

_**Would you allow me?**_ I could already feel the need to laugh grow, but also, Zacky must have also felt my anger, because we both calmed down at once.

That in itself made me want to laugh. My emotions were one wild roller coaster, and I felt tired all over again.

"You have a ghost?" she asked, incredulous. I smiled. That was my reaction when the trio told me about a haunting in my house.

"Yea, and his name is Malvoro…the name reminds me of cigarettes," I mused.

Jane looked thoughtful. I knew she knew something. "What do you know?" I asked impatiently. Now that she was "a part of me," her internal conflict to either share or not what she knew was bugging me.

"I…saw something—when you turned me," she said.

I wanted to wince, sigh, and cough, all at the same time. Of course, I might have started to choke. But hey, I was now a vampire…which thinking about how long I was one surprises me. It has been a whole year pretty much. I graduate in just a couple months, and while my GPA wasn't all that great, I didn't worry. Zacky and I had it all planned out. We would go to a community college somewhere where the dark consumes the city. It sounds cliché, but really, I got tired of girls looking at Zacky. I know I have nothing to worry about, as our relationship has grown during the year, but I can't help it.

And apparently, Zacky felt the same thing about guys.

"What was it?" I asked, after a short moment of silence.

She looked uncomfortable, and I knew she wasn't used to big groups. However, she still told me.

"I saw something that appeared as if it was a dream you had," she told me slowly, as though she was just coming up with it. "In it, the thin—Melvaro tries to attack a kid," she finally said.

Zacky and I thought of one person: _Lucas_.

"God," I said, wanting to slap myself. Jazz never really liked taking care of him. He used to cry for every little thing. It wasn't until I took him under my belt and made fun of him for crying that he really did stop. Thinking back, I felt horrible for doing that. I knew it was mean, but I knew how Jazz felt the first day I took care of him. Now—well, now he is a good kid.

Who just so happens to be able to sense ghosts.

"Want me to take you home in the car? It's raining," Zacky told me, as if it wasn't obvious enough.

"Please," I said, looking for a jacket I might have left in the house. I found the one I was hoping I had left here a week ago. The big heavy one.

I put it on, and say good bye to my friends. I go to Zacky's car, and sit on the passenger side.

"I know I drive slower than Dustin," he said, as he backed up not-so-slowly, "But I'm sure we can beat him today. What do you say?" he asked me. I wanted to roll my eyes. Sure, when I was human, he drove considerably slower then Dustin, like five miles faster than the speed limit, but Zacky likes to drive fast. I mean _really_ fast. The only reason Dustin beats him is because Dustin is some mad genius about cars. But hey, he was a greaser in the fifties…

We arrive a minute later. The lights are on, and I couldn't feel anything—like I haven't felt anything in a year. And Lucas wasn't complaining anymore, so I thought Malvoro was history.

_**He's here**_, Zacky said. At first, I though he meant Lucas. I was going to state the obvious, but the tidal wave of worry drowned me.

_Where, exactly?_

He looked at me surprised. _**You can't sense him? Your house is riddled with his presence—**_

My parents started to walk to the door, and see who was in front of the house. They carried a smile when they recognized the big bulk of my sweater, but upon seeing Zacky, their faces dropped a fraction of an inch. I frowned, momentarily distracted by this, when I forced myself to think about the matter at hand, my baby brother, Lucas, who said that he wanted to be a vampire when he grew up, which was an unsettling though.

"Where have you been young lady?" my mother asked.

_**Remember, you were at Victoria's—**_

_I know, I know_.

"Didn't Victoria call you? I was at her house, working on that history project you kept telling me to finish," I told her. It sounded harsh, and I realized it then. They probably thought Zacky influenced me to be like that, or something.

_I should be nicer to them when you're around, so they don't think you're the one making me moody._

_**Hmm. That sounds like a good idea. That they think I have influenced you to be like that is clearly written all over their faces.**_I grimaced.

"What's wrong mija?" my mom asked.

"Meh," I said, a little too much slang for them, "Nothing. I said that horribly is all. Sorry," I said, sincerely. They were taken aback.

"No worries. Come in, you guys must be freezing," my mom said. My dad was quiet, but that was how he always was. He never really gave anyone bad looks if he didn't like them, he just was silent and when the person came asking for help, he would turn his shoulder. Cold, I know, but a great philosophy to follow…if you're a vampire…which he is not.

"Thank you," Zacky said.

_Suck up._

_**Shut up.**_

I chuckled. He always tried to be nice to them.

I tried hearing out for Lucas, and I heard him in my room, listening to music in the DS.

He shuffled a little, pressed pause, and heard my mom asking why Victoria didn't pass by—which obviously meant she disapproved of Zacky giving me a lift.

He slapped the DS shut and stampeded his way to the living room.

"Raechel! Zacky!" he said, happy to see us.

_**One of the few kids that love me**_, Zacky said emotionally.

I rolled my eyes. _Con's right. You _are_ turning emo_.

Joy swept through me as Zacky carried Lucas. _**I blame you. You feel this way too you know**_, he said in a very childish way.

His sarcastic side was too strong, and I knew he was trying to hide something.

I did not need to think it. He knew what I was going to say before I thought it.

_**I'll tell you later. Bring him over, and your sister too. She gets along with Leslie and Manny, doesn't she?**_

_Fine. And yea, she does. She is, like, the only one that approves of me dating you and supposedly not getting back with Manny_, I said annoyed. She keeps thinking that Manny was trying to get me back at the beginning. I kept trying to tell her it was bull, but she insisted. In the end, she got to know Zacky a little better, and she actually approved, which in itself was interesting because we both have such different taste in men. Well, I _had_ a taste in men, now I have a taste on just Zacky.

I felt like I was some Zacky fan girl because of how much I deify him. And he felt that too.

He put Lucas down, whispered him to get some clothes ready and kissed me while my parents weren't looking. Fast, intense, and hot. My breathing got heavy in a few seconds, but he pulled back.

_**I don't mind you being my fan girl. In fact, I love it.**_

I smiled, appreciative that I couldn't blush.

_Yea, well, makes me feel weak sometimes_, I told him honestly.

_**You feeling the way you do for me, or thinking of yourself as a fan girl?**_

_Both I guess._

He smiled, though he was looking at a calendar.

_**Well, if it makes you feel better, I am a devout Raechelist.**_

_Creeps me out actually_, I joked, though smiling like a goof. Jazz came out just as I turn around to hide the smile from Zacky (which was futile, because he knew I was smiling like that), and saw the smile.

She laughed. "You make my sister look like an idiot with that smile on her face," she told Zacky in a joking matter.

He laughed at her joke. "It's what I do best," he said comfortably.

"Huh. No kidding," she said as she saw my face. She smiled, genuinely happy I was happy.

"Time to go," my mom said. I saw she had a heavy jacket, so they were on a long trip.

"Mom, I don't want to go," Jazz whined.

"Get in the car," my dad said. I cringed. What he said was worse than the courts. There was no appeal order.

"Ahem, umm, dad," I said uncertain. My sister looked at me hopefully. "Maybe I can take them to Con's birthday party?"

He looked like he considered it. He wanted us to have fun, but he also didn't want us running wild.

"Rae, it's almost midnight," he countered.

"Dad! Con is my best friend," I said, trying to think of a good reason why he would let Jazzmin go.

_**Tell him Con fancies her**_, he said quickly and in one breath.

"It's obvious he fancies her," I said nonchalantly. I almost look away, but Zacky gives me a mental push.

"Fancies?" my dad asked, raising an eyebrow at my choice of diction.

"Uh yea…best word I can choose. Come on dad. Let him get to know her. He'll move once he does." Lucas snickered. I smile, knowing she thought this was my payback. Which it was.

I knew he would let her go if she went with me. I was the responsible one. That, and he cared for my friends, and wanted them all to be happy—just not with his daughters.

"Fine," he said. "Luc—"

"I plan to take him too," I said. He looked at me surprised.

He turned to Lucas. "If you go with her, you won't get Jack in the Box," he said. Lucas's eyes grew big, but it wasn't going to be enough to get him away from the house.

"Have a good time at Vera's!" he said as he grabbed his night bag from his room, ready to go.

I smiled at my parents. "Have fun. And don't worry. They are going to be in good hands."

"Yes," my dad said, "We know. Have fun at Con's."

My mother looked a little disbelieving, and left curtly.

_Score._

_**One for the vampires**_, was all he said.

"I'm ready!" Lucas said, smiling and showing us his milk teeth.

"Coat," I said. He only had a long sleeve shirt on, and I knew it was cold outside because I could see my breath, and my parents shivered as they opened the door.

He stomped to his room to get the coat, and I heard something fall. I knew it was not Lucas, but I also knew he could cause a raucous with his carelessness.

"I'll wait in the car," Jazzmin said, relieved to be free from our parents. I nod.

"Luc—" I said, interrupted by something I didn't think I saw clearly.

_I think I see Malvoro_, I said, implacably calm.

"Yea," Zacky said, at the same instant he was next to me.

Malvoro seemed unaware of us, staring intently at Lucas.

I was angry.

_Was he a fucking pedophile or _what_? _ I asked.

_**I certainly didn't know everything about him. He only told us what to kill**_.

I understood, but kept looking at Malvoro. Through that feeble connection I had with Jane, I could tell she was scared, and I almost saw everything she saw. She was still at the hangout, and it was as if I could possess her body.

She knew that she was having visions of what I was seeing, and thankfully, she reported it to the rest of the group.

"She sees him," was all she said. Under any other circumstance, it would have seen too vague a statement, but my friends are smart and quick.

"What is he doing?" Con asked, grabbing Jane by the shoulders and almost shaking her gently.

"He's—well he's looking at her—is he her kid?" she asked.

I saw Con roll his eyes. "Kid brother," he said. He reverted back to the matter at hand. "What is he doing? How is he looking at him?"

"Almost…frightfully."

_What the _fuck_ does she mean by _frightfully_?_ I asked Zacky.

_**I have no clue**_, Zacky said. _**Maybe she means Lucas**__._

_He doesn't look _that_ scared…_

"Who looks scared?" Con asked her for me.

"Her kid brother. It's like an innate fear," she explained.

Con, although smart, gave her a look that was obviously disbelief, as if saying 'we have a smart one in the group now.'

Any other time, I would have been laughing, and I might have chuckled, but Malvoro saw us.

His head jerked to Zacky, and then to me. He remembered me, that was a given. He glared at us, disappearing only when Lucas was shouting that he couldn't find his coat.

I move around the spot Malvoro was, trying to ignore his hideous presence, and spot Lucas' coat in the bathroom.

I grab it, yell at Lucas to come out, and Zacky opens the door at a relatively human pace.

From an on looker's perspective, it looked like a young family was fleeing from something bad, like a Jewish family escaping the Nazis, or something a little less worse.

"Raechel? Why are we leaving so quickly?" Lucas asked me before we opened the car door.

_**Good thing he remained oblivious.**_

_Tell me about it…_

"Well honey, Con got the new game you wanted to play last time, remember?" I asked him, desperate to distract him.

Through some miracle that gave birth to Jesus, he fell in my trap.

"Ohh!" he said, and quickly got in the car.

I sigh. I wait for a second outside my door, weighing the consequences Malvoro presented now.

He is powerful enough that _I_ could see him, and him being the main source of connection between Jane and me.

I tried to feel Jane's presence, but couldn't.

Stupid vampire connections I was having. I thought it would only be with Zacky.

_**Maybe Jane's is temporary. Get in the car. Might have been a couple seconds for your siblings, but it would suck if you catch a cold**_, he joked.

"I'm always cold," I told him, not bothering to think it.

It made me feel as if I were in some movie as I said it.

_I'm going to ask Jane what she saw_.

_**Good. Malvoro has been a huge pain in the ass for too long.**_

I stifle a giggle.

I feel Zacky role his eyes. "So immature."

I hear Jazz whisper in Lucas' ear. "It's as if they can read each others' fucking minds."

He only nodded solemnly, keeping a smile from creeping on his lips.

If only she _knew_ we were vampires, and I could hear her.

I imitate Lucas' attempt to hide a smile as Zacky speeds off to the house in the dark.

* * *

Bold italics in the story are Zacky's thoughts. Regular italics are Raechel's. Review! Tell me what you think! Is it still worth the painstaking work I put? Or are my efforts futile? I want to know! So updating will be quicker!


	13. Reminiscent, Pt1

I like the feedback! I shall continue!

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Chapter Thirteen

[Reminiscent]

_**Calm down**_, Zacky tells me for the umpteenth time. It's not that I was worried, or scared, or nervous; I wanted to know the whole deal with Malvoro. He had taken advantage of my boyfriend and my friends, not to mention look at my little brother as if he were this prized possession.

_I _am_ calm, don't worry about it_, I tell him. I suppose I was being moody, but right now, I don't care. I want to beat some ghost shit right now. He was ruining my peaceful balance. I couldn't keep adding this supernatural weight in my balance when it was already threatening to tip the balance in its favor.

"So, is this how fast you really drive Zacky?" Jazz asks after he ignores the stop sign and takes the sharp turn without slowing down visibly.

"When I am in a hurry, yea," Zacky said absentmindedly, as if he were watching the road strenuously.

_I feel bad for not telling her._

_**Maybe we can today.**_

_Yea_, I say bitterly. It's not that I don't want to tell her; it's that I'm worried how she will react. Lucas reacted a little badly in the beginning, but after he got used to it, he loved his vampire buddies.

Jazz is a little more closed-minded.

_**Chill. She'll get used to the idea eventually. Everyone does**_, I can feel the assurance he felt, and in a way it soothed me. I know he was trying hard not to let my emotions get in the way of his, because then he would start to worry and doubt everything.

"We're here," Zacky said as he turns the car off and opens the car door.

"Oh damn," Jazz says in that gangster way of hers. "Hey Rae-Rae, how come you come back home when you could easily say you're at Vic's and stay here?" she asks me in awe.

_**She's not as dumb as you make her seem. You underestimate her too much.**_

_I have my reasons to._

_**No, you don't. I can bet you she's just lazy. And underestimating your opponent is one of the most dangerous things you can do.**_

_She is not an opponent._

_**I was thinking of the quote. You know very well what I meant.**_

_Yea, I know what you meant love._ I know he loves it when I use that.

_**Manipulative bitch much, amor?**_ He asks me, the last word with a double edge of meaningfulness and sarcasm.

I put my arm around him while Jazz takes Lucas out with a "fucking love birds" under her breath.

_You know you like it._

_**Mhm**_.

The door opens, and I wait for my sister to bring Lucas in before I go in. Zacky follows suit, and soon, we are all inside the warm house.

"Damn Zacky. You really were having a party, eh?" Jazz asks as she sees we have company.

The rest of the group looks taken aback that there is someone new here.

"No, not really," I tell Jazz. I look at the group, silently asking for permission I know they shouldn't really give me, but I was asking it all the same. Besides, they already knew I would be out of their hair after this lame high school graduation.

For once, my breathing was a little labored. I didn't want my sister killed in order to keep our secret, but I didn't want to keep her in the dark. Zacky was right, she deserved better than what I was telling her.

"What's going on?" Jazz asks me, worried. Probably not for herself, but she grabbed Lucas tighter, an instinct to protect an innocent child taking over her body.

I stayed quiet for a few seconds, trying to calculate how long I should be silent before I told her my deadly secret.

Everyone else started to get up from their chairs of couches, and began moving around us, showing my sister that all of us were creatures of the dead once I told her.

Intuition clicked, because she began to get nervous, and her heartbeat began to beat louder and faster.

"Please don't be scared," I tried begging her, getting closer. I think it backfired, because how else would I know she was getting scared when her face showed she was relatively calm.

"This explains everything," she says.

_**I told you she wasn't dumb**__._

_Honey?_

_**Yea?**_

_Now is not the time._

I sigh. "Please, listen to me," I tell her, running my hand through my hair, my jacket impeding me from making the movement too fast, for which I was grateful.

"We're leaving Lucas," she says. Before he or I could argue, she makes a silencing gesture. "I can bet he knows, and it would explain a lot, but I am _not_ about to have my baby brother be brain washed by things that are not humans." Her words were actually bitingly cold.

"Jazz," I said, feeling that if I could cry, I would probably be wailing with sadness, "We're sisters for heaven's sake—"

"No. I had a sister. Apparently though, she's dead now." Her voice continued to be biting, and everyone else was just quiet, surprised that not long ago, one family member was taking it easily while the other one was not even bothering to listen to the first sentence, yet know what we were talking about.

"I don't wan—"

"Don't argue with me Lucas," Jazz said sternly. Despite me having taken care of him the past year and a half, Jazz took care of him extensively during the first year and a half of his life, so she knew how to deal with him.

"Don't be ridiculous Jazzmin!" I use her full name, "You plan to leave now?" I tell her as she starts to head back to the door.

"I'm going home, call, and see if we can still go with my parents."

"You will get Lucas and yourself sick!"

"Lucas has his sweater."

"But you don't!"

_**Just let her go. They'll be fine.**_

_No!_

"What do you care?" she asks as she leaves the house and closes the door.

_They're going to go back to where Malvoro is_, I say worriedly.

_**Then force them to stay.**_

_She'll hate me more!_

_**She'll be alive to do so. Don't forget the reason why we all came here.**_

_I'm almost glad I can't cry_, I say bitterly as I go to the door, and close it quietly.

The rain makes their steps sounds farther away than they really were because of the air, so I almost froze when I saw that they were actually just around the corner.

I sneak up to them.

Jazzmin is waiting for a ride; easily perceived.

"Jazzmin, I'm so sorry," I whisper in her ear.

Before she even reacts to hearing me, I knock her unconscious.

Zacky is next to me in the next instance.

_**I'll take Lucas.**_

_Alright_, I say as I nod my head.

I carry Jazz back into the house and take to wait outside. I know she called someone because her cell phone had a single call entry (she always deletes her calls), and it shows she called her boyfriend.

After three or four minutes, the boyfriend arrives.

_Fast boyfriend_.

He sees I'm there instead of Jazz, and he rolls the window. "Where's mah girl?"

"You mean my sister?" He rolls his eyes, but nods. "She was tired, and I convinced her to stay with me for the night."

"So you finally moved out?"

"What?"

"She was always telling me how you _finally_ found your guy and how happy you was and how she was happy her sister finally found someone who wouldn't hurt her."

I wanted to cry.

_**Keep it together a little bit longer love. Stay strong right now**_.

"Did she really say that?" I ask him, evident that I never knew she thought of me that way.

"I swears," he said. "Well, my girl wanted me here quickly, but seeing as how you got her covered, I can leave knowing she's in good hands."

"Of course," I say soberly. I wave goodbye and head back to the house.

"Back to business," I said seriously. I was not about to risk my relationship with my sister for nothing. "Jane," I say as I snap my head at her, "What is this dream or whatever thing you had?"

She sat down, and began her story, not bothering to acknowledge I asked, or that people were getting comfortable. I liked that. A down-to-business kind of girl. This is what she said:

_The ambience is very surreal, obviously a dream. Someone is going around the house, cleaning, it looks like, and she is singing. She is wearing a maid's dress, a light blue dress, with a beautifully lacy white frock on top of it. She's very energetic, and she is singing in a very beautiful voice. She is singing part of a song over and over again, and, as she gets on the ladder to brush the cover's higher part on the windows, she starts to sing slowly, carefully. She is singing, "Kaaaaaaaaaalin—ka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya, v sadu yagoda malinka, malinka moya." She sang this part over and over again, as if this was the only part of the song she can remember._

_She loses her balance, and is cut midway through "kalinka," and yelps lightly._

_As she catches her balance, she chuckles at herself for getting scared._

_She finishes, and gets down slowly, still singing. She bobs her head side to side while singing, as happy as an apparently sixteen-year-old maid can be._

"_Kaaaaaaaaalinka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya. __Kaaaaaaaalin—ka, kalin-ka, kalin-ka moya," she kept saying now, not bothering to finish the rest of the verse. Her smile was beautiful, and one couldn't help but wonder what possible thing could ever corrupt such radiance._

"So, it started with a girl?" Dustin interrupted.

"Dustin, please shut up," I said, wanting to know what happens. Jane has a way of being so descriptive, and you felt sucked in her story.

"Alright, sorry," he said placatingly.

"Please, continue Jane," Alex said.

"Alright. Where was I? Oh, she was smiling to herself and—"

_Suddenly, she bumps into someone as she moves sideways while dusting the beautifully designed cedar wood._

"_Oh," she said, bowing her head in apology when she saw who it was. "Master Malvoro, my deepest apologies."_

_She knew she shouldn't really look her masters in the eye, especially not the youngest one, who was slightly snobbish, and looked at people with mild distaste, but she couldn't help herself. There was something about him that made her want to look into his eyes, probably to test her radiance, or to test _his_ darkness, for he was a morbid young man, much too morbid for comfort._

"_Apology accepted," he said, looking deep into her eyes, still with mild disgust, and began to walk back towards his room._

_She stopped singing, afraid she might disturb the young man, though she knows it is ridiculous, since he was already at his room._

_She whisper-sings, and her voice is beautiful. __"Kalinka, kalinka, kanlinka moya. __Kalinka, kalinka, kalinka moya. Kalinka, kalinka, kanlinka moya." She repeats it over and over again, as though it were a prayer, and she was asking for protection. While her attitude was bright and happy, the young master made her afraid._

_Of what? She didn't know. He never talked about anything happy, or anything hopeful; but that didn't mean she had to think badly of him, right?_

_She kept singing softly, and now, her mind was more trained to listening to anything that might be near her than cleaning. She cleaned better when her mind wandered anyways._

_Once her shift was over, she quickly removed her cap; she felt her long hair would explode out of the cap if she tried containing it any longer._

"_Good bye, Ivana," the mistress said._

"_Good bye, miss," she responded._

_She left the house quickly; she felt someone or something was watching her; and those eyes did not contain anything gentile in nature._

_.x.x.x._

The next day

_There was a timid knock on the door. "Master Malvoro?" Ivana said._

_Malvoro, the young man from yesterday, opened the door to his room, and peered down at her, once again, with mild disgust. "How may I help you?" he asked, somewhat sarcastically._

_She looked down at the ground. "The mistress would like you to come down to sup with the rest of the family."_

"_Very well," he said, and she turned to leave._

"_Did I say you were excused?" he asked, his words dripping with honesty, though dryly coated with superiority._

"_I'm sorry master Malvoro," she said, bowing her head down even more once she turned._

_Something flashed his eyes, she could tell, but her head was bowed down too much to be able to tell what it was exactly._

"_Leave," he said, once he displayed his dominance._

"_Thank you, sire," she said, and quickly made her way to the kitchen._

_Master Malvoro closed the door to his room—or, to describe it correctly, quarters. He had a few people build him an outhouse, where he went to whenever he wanted to be alone._

_Of course, he was never alone in there._

_He walked to the dining room table to excuse himself, but, no, he was not hungry._

"_Are you sure Malvoro?" Mistress Angelica asked, getting up to feel his temperature._

"_I am sure, mother," Master Malvoro replied, dodging his mother's ridiculous notion and motion._

_She sighed. "Alright," and, seeing Ivana enter, "Ivana dear, just the four of us tonight. Malvoro will not be dining with us tonight."_

"_Yessum," she said._

_She walked out with one plate in hand, ready to throw it away—or let the other servants eat that portion of food._

"_Very well then," Master Malvoro said, "Excuse me, but I have matters to attend to. Good night."_

"_You are excused son," the man said at the front of the table, Master Malvoro's father._

_Master Malvoro walks back towards his quarters, and looks around suspiciously, as though about to do something he knew he shouldn't._

_He goes to the outhouse, and goes back to his current project. He grabbed a sharp object; such things were hard to disattach with strength alone, though lately, he was able to do it easily, but never for the hardest part._

_He concentrates solely on what he is doing, not taking to notice that the young woman was still breathing as he cut through her skin._

_Her throat was sliced through, so she couldn't scream, or utter a coherent thing. She just said "uhhhhh, uhhhh, uhhhh" in painfully long and slow intervals, but he didn't mind; he relished in the sounds, dreamed about them even._

_Those were always his best dreams: the distorted cries of pain his victims drew out of their mouths with every last breath. He felt they were uttering such a way for him, and for no one else. Who else was there to hear? Whenever he entered, he would hear those distorted cried of pain, and he became excited; he didn't smile, but leered a grin that demonstrated superiority. His smile never reached his eyes either; they were just two black abysses, with no way out of them._

_He continued with his torture, adoring every second of contact with the young woman, every second, he could feel her body get colder—just for him._

_Of course, he didn't just target young women; he targeted older women, men, young men, anyone who would give him some time of day, or anyone who dared look at him wrong._

_The ones who kindly interacted with him were the best, in his opinion. They had no clue as to what was to happen. They did not know they were talking to a killer, or holding the very hand that sliced the throat of a young woman. Then, when he invited them over for the first time—in secret of course—they would finally see his true intentions._

_No, his goal was not to sleep with the woman, it was better, much more sensual. He wanted all thoughts on him; every scream caused by him; every tear caused by him; every breath caused for him; every voice caused for him._

_Those who wronged him were killed crudely. No time to breathe a last breath, but more to have his last moment in fear, his last mental image of that of his last sight, whether it be an axe, or a knife, or a hammer, _anything_ he could display as his weapon._

_He continued to cut, seeing tears. He stopped. Her body was very cold, and he loved it._

"_What's wrong dear?" he asked the girl, grabbing her chin, making an affectionate, and spidery trail from one side of her jaw to the other. Despite being past alive, she shivered; he mused it was because his touch excited her. Her eyes grew wide in fear; he mused it was in anticipation of what he could do to her._

_He gave her a delicate kiss, one that displayed treachery and a sense of finality._

"_See you in hell darling," he whispered, stroking her chin once more before he left._

_He heard her go "uhhhhh, uhhhhhh, uhhhh," again in pain, but he mused that she was disappointed that she would die, and would never know him. He smiled wickedly. He had a perverse pleasure, and another girl had already grabbed his attention._

_She would be the next target; he didn't give himself a few days to calm down from the adrenaline and excitement he felt in opening up people. The girl caught his attention way too early, what with her her erotic voice._

_She was singing slowly and quietly for him, he knew._

_She never looked him in the eye because she couldn't display her true feelings to him, he knew._

_She shivered when he spoke because she was trying desperately to stay where she was, and not rush to him and show him her love, and become one with him, he knew._

_He laughed a little as he was heading to his room. The sky was beginning to get light again; he didn't know he was in the outhouse for so long._

_He was going to catch the girl singing again, he knew._

_He went to sleep, dreaming of darkness, but one young lady kept dancing and singing in his head._

_She was singing, "Kaaaaaaalin—ka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya. Kaaaaaalin—ka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya. Kaaaaaaalin—ka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya. Kaaaaaaalin—ka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya. Kaaaaaaaalin—ka, kalin—ka, kalin—ka moya. Kaaaaaalin—ka..."_

* * *

MyButterfly364: I love you dear! I tried to make Malvoro as SCARY as possible, just because you said you wanted to read how creepy he is! And Con, oh boy, Con, he's all yours!

broken-pixie: Hope you loved this piece as well. I like Zacky too :D But, you may have him!

United States: Thank you for taking your time to read my story! I love the US! God bless America!

UK: I adore you. You guys royally kick arse! (Wales!)(Tudor family!)(Churchill!)(MyButterfly364!).

Australia: My Aussies! I love you deeply!

Romania: Transylvannia! Where our Western myths of vampires live! Without you, my dear Romania, there would be no romantization of vampires!

Finland: I shall FOREVER love you for taking in those Jewish refugees when no other country would have the guts to do so! Your bravery shall always be admired by me!

Czech Revar: Czechoslovakia much? I love pronouncing your name! Even if it isn't the complete tongue twister of the other! I love your spelling! I love you too!

Brazil: Ahh, to live in Brazil, or to be a Brazilian, or live as a Brazilian Amazon! It would be glorifying!

South Africa: With your beautiful language of Afrikaanz. Trust me, I lived Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country deeply!

Philippines: My dear Philipinos! Ah! How I love you!

All of you! I love you, and you reading my story makes me love you even MORE!

Tell me what you thought of this chapter. I worked hard to make you guys happy!


	14. Reminiscent, Pt2

I LOVE the feedback. And, because I also love my beta child MyButterfly364, who loves Malvoro (and Con), I shall have another part of Malvoro's story in the next chapter, with a followup of an exclusive on Con ;)

He's SEXAY haha. Anyways, think dark :)

* * *

_He woke up the next morning fairly late. He was disappointed. He wanted to get up early to see the girl off to the other side. Although he begrudgingly admitted it wasn't real, he often imagined that he walked her to the Devil's Door, and that the Devil, as a symbol of gratitude, shrouded him with invisibility from any suspicion and sent him the same soul to torture and recycle, except forever on Devil's Door._

_Fancying that, he tells himself that he is tired of the same soul, and the Devil wouldn't recycle it anyways because he didn't walk the soul off to Hell this time around. He tells himself that the Devil was tired of letting that soul be brought back and forth, and that, as the ultimate gift, he gave him a new soul; one that was pure, innocent, and beautiful._

_But, she is beautiful so that she could allure him, and so that he would get the most extreme pleasure when her beautiful face is distorted in pain. Moreover, just for him._

_The Devil sent to him a beautiful girl with an honestly good soul so that he could experience his last death to the most extreme form of ecstasy._

_Yes, he was going to die after her, the Devil didn't have to bluntly tell him. He didn't pray, because he didn't want to doubt whether it was God or the Devil that gave him this last gift—if God sent her to him, it would make the reason she was here pure. He didn't want that. That would be blasphemy in his book. He wanted her pure, yes, but only because he wanted to slowly make her white smeared, then, gray, then, black, then, an ominous cloud of shadow. Yes, he could see it now; he would die, so he could be immortal, and he could always have that one pure soul._

_The Devil told him…_

"So that's what you meant by kid?" I asked Jane, after it seemed she pulled herself out of the storytelling. I wanted her to keep going once I knew that when she said kid, she didn't mean Lucas. I knew Malvoro was horrid, I just didn't know he was flat out motherfucking crazy; almost like I was, except I didn't perverse every person's actions to be caused by me, I wasn't a killer either…

_Well, that time I killed a kid_, I mused, to no one in particular, though Zacky heard everything I was thinking. I didn't hear him, and it made me worry, but not so much when I was able to feel this exasperation take over my body; he hated when I always saw the bad side of a situation.

Then again, it might be because he was in too deep in the recesses of his past, when he had to work under…that _thing_.

I stared at Zacky, a sort of melancholy feeling forming deep within me; I did not know if Zacky was feeling that and it made me suddenly feel absorbed by the feeling, or whether I sympathized with him completely. My face became extremely sad, and I had to look down. After I clear my thoughts, I look at him again. The desolation in his face was mirrored in both Con's and Alex's face as well. All the rest of us could do is watch, finally understanding a bit more the extent of what they went through, and why they were as high in the clan as they were.

They seemed so withdrawn, that I couldn't take it anymore; and neither could Victoria. We went to our own boyfriends, but I also went to Con, my best friend (after Zacky). I grabbed Zacky's hand, and patted Con's shoulder. They looked at me with a small smile on their face, Con seeming to get out of it quicker than Zacky.

"Now you know why it's more complicated than just some little gossip?" he asked, one of the saddest smiles I have ever seen plastered on his face.

"You're going through some vampire PMS, aren't you?" I asked him, understanding how emotional one could get on a whim.

He chuckled, and soon, the chuckle turned into a laugh. I didn't see what was funny; I was being serious for once, sadly understanding, so I didn't get insulted right away. But once I did, I was looking at him, saying "Uhuh, keep laughing." It only made him laugh harder.

_Well, at least he isn't so engulfed by his thoughts anymore_, I thought, wanting the best for my best friend, but not at the sake of me.

_**You are a wonderful friend, but you're the only one who goes through such roller coaster emotions out of all of us darling, in case you haven't noticed. It has only been a **_**year**_** since you've known us.**_

_Ahh!_ I thought, as I hugged Zacky, glad he wasn't in his depressed mood.

I can almost feel him grin as he wraps his arms around me and both his hands grabbing my head, preventing me from stepping back; even if I was a vampire, he was still stronger than me.

_**Not that you wouldn't mind staying right as you are, right?**_ He asks me, teasing me.

_I wouldn't mind at all_, I said, meaning it entirely. Of course, I had to know Malvoro's history before Jazz wakes up. I face Jane, who was looking at Zacky and me in such a way that made me want to smile, yet be uncomfortable.

"Can I ask you something?" I say to her.

"Sure," she said.

"What do you think when you see me and Zacky?"

She smiled. "Well, considered we can't rest our souls, I say you are a match straight out of hell." She didn't bother to explain it as thoroughly, but she didn't need to. I knew perfectly well what she meant: since we could never die (well, very hard to do so), we could never go to heaven, and because we were "creatures of the damned," we could only come from hell.

_**You think that's romantic?**_ Zacky asked me, incredulous.

_Yes,_ I said, knowing he won't voice what I thought, and that he liked it, even if it sounded a little macabre.

He sighed. _**Hell, heaven, lingo. Doesn't matter.**_

Meanwhile, I noticed I lagged in responding. "Thanks for the honesty," I said, appreciating her way with words. So story-like, so appealing, so…captivating.

She just smiled, and looked away as soon as the conversation was over. She was getting lost in thought again, and I hoped it was because she was remembering the rest of the vision she had.

She looked at Zacky, and said, "The girl tried to kill him, didn't she?"

"I don't know. I didn't even know the full story, but one day we went to get our orders and he was missing. We found out through a lady that he died, murdered by the slice of his throat, and that they were having a funeral," he said, emotionally detached from what he was saying. I would have said those words with hate, even if it could be considered one of the best days of my life.

But then again, Zacky hardly ever portrayed his emotions from the outside, and even then, only when we were both caught on with each other in our heads.

"She dealt him a deadly blow, and he committed suicide," she said, finishing the story with such dullness that I was disappointed.

I made a face. I wasn't the everyday imagined vampire; I didn't act regal, or had an air of superiority, or haughtiness, and I certainly didn't keep my face in one mask of emotion.

Right now, I probably looked like Shrek when he tried to smile.

"That's it?" I asked, obvious that unless she told me in full detail, I wouldn't try to understand the weight of the situation.

"Ah," Con said, threatening to bust up in another fir of laughter. "You are, indeed, my dumbshine."

"Yea, yea," I said, sneering at him. I face Jane. "I don't know if it's your words, or if you just have this ability to story tell, but compared to that, what you told us right now sounds like it's crap, or even then, sounds unimaginable."

She looked at me for a couple seconds before smiling slyly. Of what? I didn't know.

_**She's getting to you**_, Zacky taunted.

_What do you mean?_ I asked him, not turning from Jane, but knitting my eyebrows for a small moment.

_**She allures with story telling it looks like**_, he said.

_I don't think it will be that big of a problem_, I told him quickly, trying to think of a way to prompt Jane.

_**That's what the drug addict said**_, Zacky retorted, and I could feel the need to laugh.

_Listen to your God_, I said, remembering how he said he was a devout Raechelist.

_**I don't have a god**_, he said calmly.

I thought _goddess_, but then again, I didn't like putting myself in a pedestal.

His arm snakes around my waist, and brings me closer to him.

_**My goddess**_, he said, enjoying my reaction anytime he said that. I can feel him look at Jane, and in turn, it made me focus on her, since I was looking at her, but my thoughts were elsewhere; they were "elsewhere" almost all of the time.

_Oh, yea, trying to convince her to tell me the rest of the story._ "So, are you going to tell the rest of the story?" I prompted her, even if my prodding was obvious.

She smiled again, but the sly was gone. "Fine," she said, looking at the ground as though trying to read the story between the tiles.

She sighed, as if she was tired, and began once again…

* * *

rocktheroxie: It's been so long since I heard from you! Thanks for your continued reading of my story! It means a lot to me :)

broken-pixie: Thanks for liking the detail :) I hope I made him as disturbing as possible :)

MyButterfly364/Courtnee: Chyea! I still love that I had you under the covers just having you _think_ about him. Makes me happy to know I can still scare people! :) ailahyoo!

Go check out my poll! This story is tied to my other vampire story!

Review! You guys make me so happy when you review, and keeps me going :)


	15. Reminiscent, Pt3

Chapter Fifteen

[Reminiscent, Pt.3]

_Master Malvoro tried not to show any obvious smile when he read about the disappearance of young Shelly Longstraum. He knew he would never be suspected, but he didn't want to let anyone catch that smile. It was his, and his alone, to be shared with young Shelly. He had a smile for every person he killed._

_He was drinking his tea, about to ask for a refill, when he saw that the person attending him was Ivana Gorshkov. She was setting down some biscuits when he finally bothered to notice who was attending him, and it seemed perfect._

_Too perfect._

_It was all just for him._

"_More tea," he said coldly, bored, pretending nothing was going on. He knew that girl probably manipulated the steward to send her up there, and it was okay. He was going to have his fun._

"_Yes, Master Malvoro," Ivana said quietly. She scurried out of the sala, and her steps were quiet._

_Quiet steps, he thought. She wants to show him how quiet she can be, and the night can be a time he could look forward to._

_As Ivana came up with more tea, she announced that company arrived, and were waiting for him near the back. Before Ivana left, he stopped her._

"_Report to me before you leave tonight," he said, as if they were simply going to discuss instructions for tomorrow._

"_Yes, Master Malvoro," she said submissively._

_Of course, she was just being coy with him._

_She left, and he headed to his outhouse, where three young men were waiting for him. All of them were tall, but the one who was the shortest was in the middle, the one who was in charge of the trio, who was looking at Malvoro with mild distaste._

_Malvoro smiled, showing his teeth, which were very nice compared to the times._

"_Shouldn't you be showing a little more respect, Zac?" Malvoro asked him._

"_Hardly," Zac replied, barely keeping himself in check._

"_Your friends are, or at least, they know who's in charge," Malvoro replied. He relished in the fact that the other faces hardened with humiliation and anger._

"_Yes, which is why I am the one talking," Zac replied, seeming to not care what Malvoro was capable of._

"_You forget that while you may be the leader of your little group, I am your boss. Have you forgotten what I saved you from?"_

"_I very well remember," Zac managed to smile tightly, "And I am certainly going to work on getting rid of you."_

"_Such openness," Malvoro said lightly, and then he added darkly, "I like that."_

"_What do you want?" Zac asked, sickened by the man._

_Malvoro played with his cane for a couple seconds, inspecting the head of the lion on the top of the cane, looking for any fault, or dent. He didn't find any._

"_I want you to use your vampiric powers to get rid of an annoying young man that has been too meddlesome with my outhouse."_

"_That's it?" Zac asked incredulously. This seems too easy for him._

"_Yes, and return tomorrow, where, depending on your quality of work, I might just let you go," Malvoro replied._

_Master Malvoro knew Zac and the others heard this promise before, and knew they didn't want to let themselves hope, but he could see it in their eyes: they wanted their freedom, something he took from them the minute he rescued them from experienced vampire hunters._

_Two years after the event, the three boys hadn't aged, and they still looked young, still looked innocent, still looked deadly._

_And he loved it._

"_Very well then," Zac continued._

"_You are dismissed," Malvoro said with a flick of his hand._

_They left, the other two never saying a word, but one of them, the tallest one, managed to throw Malvoro a deadly glare before leaving through the door._

_For once in his life, Malvoro felt a little bit of fear._

_He fancied hearing his master, the Devil, say that Malvoro will experience fear just once, so that he can relish it that much more when he kills his precious pure, white soul: Ivana Gorshkov._

_.x.x.x._

"_Good bye Ivana!" the mistress yells as she is going upstairs to bed._

_Ivana wanted to tell her that she wasn't leaving yet, and that she had one more task to do! But it was too late, as the mistress was going back upstairs, and anyway, Ivana would be stepping out of her place, something she did not want to do because she valued her job._

_Just as she was thinking that, her mind went back to what Master Malvoro said: to meet him before she was to leave. She sighed, took off her cap, and got her bag ready to go. She was lucky today; she was able to bring food to her family tonight._

_She put her bag and cap at the hall, and knocked at Master Malvoro's room. She knew he was there; he always was during and after dinner. The young man hardly left it._

"_Who is it?" she heard a cold voice murmur, just behind the door._

"_Sir," she said quietly, "You told me to report to you once my shift was over."_

_She waited, holding her breath, biting her lip. What could be possibly want to tell her?_

_She heard the lock clink, and the door opened slightly._

"_Is dinner done with?" he asked her, looking at her, smiling. She was taken aback. He never smiled at her, and she had to admit, he had a charming smile._

"_Yes, sir," she said, wondering why he wanted her to report when dinner was over._

_He looked thoughtful for a second, and as she waited to be dismissed, he opened the door a little more._

_He stood before her, and she looked up, in spite of herself. Suddenly, without warning, he covered her mouth with his hand, and dragged her inside his room._

_She didn't even have time to scream._

_.x.x.x._

_He dragged her to his room, and he locked the door with his key, and threw it out the window. He had a secret copy in the room of course, but he didn't want her to know that._

_He smiled masochistically when he saw her eyes grown big, and a scream of helplessness escaped her lips, but it didn't get far; his hands didn't allow that._

"_What?" he said, as he kissed her neck, "You're not going to sing anymore, my Russian empress?" as he licked her neck._

_She was scared; he could hear her. She was still trying to scream and was now trying to move, to get out of his powerful grasp, but her small frame was no match for his strength._

_Strength he has been acquiring through carrying all those dead bodies, and a grip powerful enough he managed when he broke bones._

_He sniffed her hair, her neck, he shoulder, her face, and such purity never made him feel so _alive_._

_So _this_ is what purity felt like? He was almost tempted to let such purity continue if it made him feel like this, but then he thought why he felt like he did._

_He was brought here, and she was brought to him, to deface such purity. That is why he was getting excited. It wasn't because he was being shown the light—he loved his darkness—but because he was doing his last act in the name of evil, and his last act was taking down some good._

_By then, Ivana knew she wasn't going to get out of his powerful grip, and the determination that fired in her eyes were now ashes. She just hung there, hoping he would be quick to do whatever he was going to do, and hope that she could find a new job elsewhere quickly. She could already feel this place becoming taboo._

"_Given up already?" Malvoro asked, a little disappointed._

_Ivana didn't move, and as he shook her, he was a rag doll._

"_You'll start moving when we get to my outhouse," he whispered to her, as though they were going to do something in secret, in hushed and excited voices._

_He took her out of his room, and when they were a couple yards from the outhouse, he felt as her body stiffened._

_She could smell death._

_He giggled perversely, and that made Ivana try to fight one more time. She squirmed under his hand, and she moved enough to bump into him several times that his hand might be moved enough to allow her to bite him and possibly scream. Before he opened the door, he shoved her against the outhouse wall, and, keeping his hand firmly over her mouth, he said in a threatening voice, "Be quiet right now, or I can do worse things to you than your imagination could ever possibly cook up."_

_She looked like she wanted to faint with fear, and he relished it._

_Fear brought him excitement. He smiled a very seductive smile, the smile he chose for her—or more correctly, that she chose for him; he didn't have a say this time._

_This time though, she was not thrown off by that smile, because she knew it meant a sickness in both the mind and soul._

_Without warning, he smashed his lips with hers, something she tried to fight, but his grip on her face was too strong._

_He tasted of a dark pestilence._

"_Well, come on in then," he said excited. He was going to have so much fun._

_He ties one of her hands, then the other, and then, grabbing one of her legs, he caresses her thigh until reaching her slender foot, and ties that up too._

_Just as he is about to tie her other foot, they both heard a tool hit the floor._

_They both quiet down, and Malvoro wondered if it was the meddlesome young man who was always going near his outhouse._

_He never saw they young man's face, but he knew that he was slender, a beggar, and tall._

_When he didn't hear anything more, he figured it was his lackeys who got rid of the boy, and he didn't hear a tool fall, but a body._

_Forgetting about the last leg, he went to his tools, and pulled out his favorite weapon: the combat knife, something he stole from a soldier during the Civil War. It was his damn land, and he could do whatever he wanted with his slaves, thank you very much._

_Upon seeing the blade, Ivana tried to kick herself free._

_Malvoro was going to die of pleasure._

_Just as he was about to create the first deep cut on the girl's uncontrollable leg, he heard the same sound just a few seconds before, but this time, the perpetrator came out of hiding._

_Ivana looked at the young man with some admiration; she never met him before, but she was willing to do _anything_, even something wrong, to get out of Master Malvoro's clutches._

"_Constantine, what are you doing here?" Malvoro asked, not quiet understanding the young man was about to strike him._

"_Getting me and my friends' freedom," he said, and then, grabbing the combat knife, he sliced Master Malvoro's right upper arm and his right leg. He fell in pain to the ground, trying to stop the bleeding. He realized the cut was deep, but not deep enough to kill him, just cause him pain._

_So, he thought, he won't let me die easily?_

_He began to laugh maniacally. He was loving this too much._

_As he was laughing, he saw the traitorous vampire help his pure white soul escape._

_And he wasn't having that._

"_Don't you dare touch her!" he screamed, as though the young man was about to commit adultery with his one true love._

"_Take this, and run," Constantine told Ivana. She took the combat knife with both her hands, and nodded, her face full with fear, but determination was reborn, like a phoenix, in her eyes._

"_How dare you?" Malvoro now yelled, angry that the insolent fool of a vampire could go against his _master_._

"_I already told you, I am getting freedom," and then, "Get ready for a death _your_ master, your precious master the Devil could be proud of." With that, he was about to grab Malvoro, and maybe strangle him a bit before breaking his neck._

"_Wait," Ivana said, standing bravely next to Constantine; she knew what he was, a vampire, but that didn't stop her from feeling he was her hero._

"_I won't do that," Constantine said darkly, "I am going to get my freedom."_

"_He'll die, yes, but I want to deal the deadly blow," she said quietly._

_So, Malvoro thought, he _had_ tainted her soul somewhat._

_Even though he might be killed, he was loving this to the point of getting giddy._

"_Are you sure?" Constantine asked her, reluctant to let her get all the pleasure._

"_Yes. You can do whatever you want to him, but I want to stab him in the heart."_

_Both Malvoro and Ivana saw him smile, and he held Master Malvoro's arms back, and stood behind him, and told her, "Just knowing I will be even partly responsible for his death is enough for me. Go ahead."_

_She nodded, and stabbed Master Malvoro right in the heart. His scream was one of bloody murder, and it sounded high pitched, one that sounded and felt evil. She gritted her teeth, and instead of cowering away, like she felt like doing, she dug the knife deeper._

_After about fifteen seconds, she pulled the knife out, and she was surprised to see so much blood come out. It wasn't red either, it was a black, putrid color, and smelled putrid as well._

"_Let's go," Constantine said after he let Master Malvoro drop to the floor, and grabbed Ivana's arm._

_She didn't protest, and she looked at Malvoro for the last time as he writhed on the floor, trying uselessly to stop the bleeding._

_As Constantine walked her back to the hall where she had her bags, he also walked her home, so that if he ran into Alex or Zac, he could tell them he wanted to feed, but didn't quite get to do it._

_As they stopped in front of her home, she thanked him, and she offered any way to pay him back, but he dismissed her promise with his hand, as he told her, "Helping me get rid of him is enough," and with that, he abruptly turned around._

_What they didn't know, was that Malvoro's last action was cutting his throat to ensure he could get his revenge…

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_

So that's the story of Malvoro! Hoped you enjoyed it :)

Special thanks to:

broken-pixie: Glad you think he's distrubing :) Here's my update :)

MyButterfly364: Yes, you do get exclusive previews, like for this one :P You got to read it all on Thurday :P

rocktheroxie: Glad that I also still have my ability to make characters smartasses, eh? (err...smart alecks).

Glad to say that lately, this story has been getting more reviews! I uploaded like ten chapters at once, and for a long time, I got no or one review if I got lucky, but this makes me happy to see people do indeed read the whole story :) Mostly the ones mentioned above. You mean a lot to me :)

Review! Next installment: Constantine aka Con!


	16. Constantine

Chapter Sixteen

[Constantine]

"You were the one who killed Master?" Alex asked, shock evident in his face.

_**Why didn't he say anything bef—**_

Suddenly, I couldn't hear what Zacky was thinking, not even his emotions. Of course, he was able to close off his feelings and thoughts to me with will alone, like I did in the beginning.

I wasn't slow to react and closed my mind too. I certainly didn't want him to know that it could actually hurt if he chose to close his mind to me.

Why? Is it that troublesome? He usually let me into some of the darkest recesses of his mind.

I wasn't going to let it bother me at the moment. Con, my best friend, had been a helper in the killing of Malvoro. I can almost bet Zacky was thinking about the whole change in hierarchy with the new details. Zacky should now be second in command, with Alex, and Con at top, making all the rules, the last says, everything. But he chose to let Zacky make the rules. If I hadn't known him better, I could have sworn that he was mocking Zacky.

I didn't think about it too much, because Jane seemed to go through a tangent.

"Hold her," Victoria told me as she grabbed her by one arm. I held the other, but Victoria and I actually struggled. Jane thrashed a lot, and I could only feel sorry for the gang when they had to deal with me when _I_ was changing into a vampire. It took her a good minute to calm down, and even then, she was breathing heavily.

"It's okay now," she panted, and went to a window and opened it.

My jaw tightened as I knew why Jane grew excited.

"Stay with Jazzy," I told Lucas, "And when she wakes up, you come running down here."

He went back into Jazz's room, where he was during the whole story telling.

I wanted to hear more, and this time, I let myself think about what Zacky told me that Jane's story telling might not be what it seems. Still with our minds closed, we looked at each other, hypocritically challenging the other as to why we closed our minds.

I would have kept staring at him, daring him to look away first, but then I heard a crash. I knew who it was, and I said, "Excuse me while I go and fix this," and ran to Jazzmin's room. I stood before the door, took an unnecessary deep breathe, and opened the door.

"Stay away from me," she said once I closed the door. I could see her squinting to see who it was, and she visibly relaxed, though not to the point to how she usually relaxed, when she saw it was me.

"Rae-Rae, really, stay away from me."

I giggled. She only called me Rae-Rae when she was desperate. "I'm sorry," I said, when I saw her get humiliated, "But it makes me feel even a little more relaxed about how this might go."

I saw her get rigid, and I held up my hands as if to calm her down. "I don't mean it in a threatening way, I swear, I just want to make sure you're protected from anything that might happen."

"Vampires can kill me, that's what will happen," she said, going from angry to plain sibling rivalry.

I sighed. "They will not. Just—Just, don't get too excited, and everything will be fine."

"Fuck this," she said, getting off the bed, and looking for her shoes, "Fuck this, and go fuck yourself and your vampire boyfriend, and fuck your vampire friends, and our vampire-obsessed brother."

"Anger stimulates the guys," I lied, and I could hear the sudden sharp movement the air made; I was looking for the reaction.

She looked scared, and I added, "And fear stimulates the girls."

"That just sounds wrong," she said, as she pushed me out of the way. I grab her arm with a little too much force, because I see her cringe. I immediately let her go, but I see Con standing almost directly behind her. She bumps into him, and she reels back

"Your sister is only trying to protect you," he said softly, "Be grateful she is not trying to suck your blood. That is something she might have done without regret during my times. Be thankful you have a thoughtful sister."

"If she was so thoughtful," Jazz said bitterly, "She wouldn't have gotten herself in this position anyways," and then added something that made me angry, "Even _if_ her boyfriend and love of her life happens to be a vampire."

Zacky was coming my way quickly, rapidly crowding the hallway, where he held my hands and dragged me back.

Con threw her a set of keys. "Mine," he said, "Leave with Lucas to your house. Hide the car; they will think it's a stranger's." Jazz saw the symbol, Jaguar, and her eyes bulged.

"I don't want to owe a vampire any favors," she said, and threw the key back at him. He grabbed her hand quickly, stuffed the key back into her palm, and said decisively, "I'm not doing _you_ a favor," and then added coldly, "I'm doing my best friend a favor."

Jazz gave him one dirty look, told Lucas to get his stuff, and headed to the entrance, where none of my vampire friends were in.

Lucas came up to me and said, "Raechel, do I really have to go?" I could only nod, making sure I did not vent my anger at him when he didn't deserve it. He looked sad, but quickly got his stuff.

"Next weekend?" he asked Zacky.

"You bet, buddy," he said, looking at me with an expression I haven't seen him use on me: honest disappointment.

When did this happen?

.x.x.x.

I went home right before dawn, when my mother and father were coming close to being back from TJ.

I pretended to be asleep, feeling empty since I didn't hear or feel Zacky's thoughts and emotions.

When they came in, they 'woke us up,' and told us to get ready for school.

_Perfect_, I thought, to no one in particular, _I can ask Con what was up with Malvoro_.

Just as I finished thinking the man's name, I could feel an uncomfortable draft in the room, grateful Lucas was still in bed, nice and warm, and not getting up any time soon.

I went to school, and let my math teacher's voice drown out, though I had everyone in that class.

In English, I only had Con, and I decided that was where I would ask him about Malvoro.

My teacher, however, had a different plan. She wanted us to get into groups of four, and discuss about Shakespeare.

_Why do I always have to go through Shakespeare?_ I thought to myself, since Zacky and I were still on a weird no-thoughts policy with each other, though we have never gone for this long. I shrug, to show I didn't care, and I was not surprised when I saw many people flock to Con as soon as the teacher let us loose.

"Come on, Con, wanna be with us?" I heard Tom, a student in my class, as Con.

Con smiled, but said, "I'm with Raechel, and I see you have three people, so it wouldn't be able to work out."

"Can we join your group, then?" two shy girls asked him. I knew they wouldn't have asked unless they didn't have a group to go with that needed exactly two people.

"Of course," he said, cheerfully enough.

"Why did you get so popular so suddenly?" I muttered under my breath.

"You made me talk to people," he muttered breezily, forcing me to take the blame.

We sat down and waited for her packet of questions. The two girls obviously joined us because other groups only had one opening, and they wanted to be together. They were talking up a storm, and I said one of their names quietly, to see if she would hear me.

She didn't.

I kept looking ahead, pretending the desk was a reclining seat, and relaxed into the chair to the point where I had to put some pressure on my feet to keep from slumping down.

"Con, my dear blonde friend," I said airily, "Why did you not tell anyone about your role in Malvoro's death?"

He stayed quiet for a while, and I knew he didn't really want to say anything. Then, "Because Zacky would have given up his leadership."

I snorted loud enough that the two girls looked up at me weird. I could hear them giggle, but I ignore it. "He would have been second, what's so wrong with that?"

"Zacky is a lot more organized, and he plans everything ahead of time. If there are 500 different possible scenarios, he could come up with 500 different solutions for each if he wanted to."

"So, it's for the protection of the coven for a worst-case scenario?"

"Yes."

I sighed, and muttered, "He could come up with it even if he was second in command."

I saw him shake his head quickly, his blonde hair getting in his eyes. "He would make room for me to plan. And Raechel," he said, sitting up straight, "I am not a planner. You must have pictured it, I did it on whim; hardly a good leader in order to protect the coven. Why do you ask anyways?"

I look down, and cross my arms. "Zacky closed his mind to me."

"He'll come around, don't worry."

"Yea, I know."

"I do feel I have to warn you though: be careful of Jane."

I looked confused, and this time, I looked at him. "Why should I be careful of someone I created? If she becomes too dangerous, I'll just get rid of her."

He shook his head again. "Rae, that girl can give us such detailed descriptions in the mind of a fucking psycho," he said the last word croakily. "It makes me wonder how she got him so down."

I only thought about it for a while.

_**Con is being ridiculous.**_

_I can see where he is coming from_, I said quickly, making sure to hide my feelings from him. He didn't need to know my undead heart almost skipped a beat.

_**Tell him he is being ridiculous.**_

_No._

_**Raechel, don't try me right now.**_

_Why are you giving me attitude?_

_**Me? **_**You're**_** the one giving **_**me**_** attitude!**_

_You know what? Forget it._

I closed my mind, angry that I was able to let him open my mind in the first place.

"I can see where you are going with this," I said a bit too loudly. The girls looked at me again.

"Are you talking to yourself?" one of them asked me.

"I guess you can say that," I muttered at them. The teacher finally came over and gave us our packet. It was five pages, and the questions were so specific, I had to spend ten minutes looking up some of the answers.

After we found all the answers, we quickly talked about the themes of the play, and once we were done, we split up again into our own little groups. The teacher came twice, forgetting that Con and I worked like lighting, and after that, thirty blissful minutes of no interruption.

"So," Con said, pulling his hair back, "Will you be careful with Jane then?"

I nodded.

"And tell Zacky too," he whispered, even in vampire standards.

I rolled my eyes, and nodded again.

Con didn't fall for it. "You two got into a fight, didn't you?"

I looked at him for a brief moment, and my façade fell instantly. I nodded, closing my eyes, and said, "It's as if we are just now just a normal couple."

He nodded, and I knew it wasn't because he agreed, but because he was getting a conviction. "Be very careful of Jane, okay?"

I curtly nodded, not bothering to think why he would repeat something he already told me.

We talked a little about what we would do for the weekend.

Originally, Zacky and I were going to take Con out on a date hunt.

We made fun of Con constantly because out of all of the guys, he seemed to be the only one who didn't bring at least one girl a week (the second coven place was actually right next door, which they had always used to lure people in for their own pleasures, ie., sucking blood, fucking, or kissing, in order of importance).

Now, it would only be me and Con, because I tried to see if Zacky would still be up for it, but he wouldn't respond, meaning, he closed his mind on me again.

"Does it have to be a date hunt?" he asked me, his hand grabbing some of his hair. The black wristband was a huge contrast against his white-blonde hair and his pale skin.

"What do you want it to be, then?" I asked him as if there was no other thing it could be.

"Just a hunt, or just a—" he didn't say the other thing, but rather "—hang out time."

"Boring," I whined.

"You looking at hot girls for me is going to be weird…though it would be pretty hot if there was girl on gir—" I slapped him on the shoulder, hard.

He was rubbing his shoulder while he said sorry, and looked at me, feigning anger and doing a silly pout.

Con. My best friend for a reason.

"Let's sneak out," he said.

"Where?" I asked him. Fifteen more minutes until lunch, and I would not be able to handle waiting any more.

"Spanish," he said.

"You're not very subtle, you know?" I told him.

_**I guess there's a reason he's both of us' best friend, huh?**_ I heard Zacky think. I could hear the guilt in his voice, and I knew that whatever happened between us was gone for the moment. It was back to how it used to be, or at least going to get there.

Con smiled at me, and said, "Let's go my dumbshine." He grabbed my hand, and we sneaked out.

"He'll come out to meet us, watch," Con vampire-whispered to me.

"Yea, I know," I whispered back, feeling giddy, but at the same time curious. I wanted to know what happened. Both of us suddenly became aversive to each other, and I didn't like it.

I saw Zacky walking up to us, looking thoughtful, and his turmoil hit me like a tsunami.

He was feeling everything, and he didn't even know why, that was the worst part; for both me and him.

I went up to him and hugged him, giving him a quick peck, and we walked back to Con.

Con looked at us, and said, "Fix this. It's ridiculous that you left angry."

As soon as he did, we both thought and talked to each other. We still didn't know what made us tick, but we decided to be mature and not let little nothings get in the way between us.

"Look for Con," Zacky said, kissing my forehead. "We'll go home for the rest of the day."

I nodded. Zacky would meet us with his car.

I turned around and looked for Con. I found him sitting on our lunch spot. He saw me and I motioned for him to come.

He walked to me quickly, and I had to smile at him. Even though he called me Dumbshine every once in a while, he was like the big brother I never had.

True, he had blonde hair rather than brown, and he had gray eyes rather than brown (again), and he had a very pale complexion rather than a tan one, but he was a "brotha from anotha motha."

I decided that today would be Con Day. I knew our minds were still closed, because I didn't hear or feel Zacky's opinion, but it didn't matter. I might feel resentful, or a little mad at him (again, for nothing), but I knew we were fixing this.

I turned to Con. "Con, why is it that you have such a nice name, good looking, good personality, but you still don't have a girlfriend, hmm? You want to explain that to me?"

He shrugged. "Mainy girls aren't my type."

"Then what are your type?"

"Shy, coy, and good singers," I heard him say, though I could have sworn that he didn't say anything remotely close to that.

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked him, sure I heard wrong.

He looked at me with an eyebrow up. "I said, I like girls who are strong, independent and have blonde hair."

I shook my head for two reasons: One, because I _had_ heard wrong, and Two: Con was _such_ a boy.

"I can see why you are still single," I said jokingly.

He grinned. "Hey, I'm blonde, and I'm smart. Right, dumbshine?"

I had to grit my teeth in order not to attack him. "Right," I said.

He zipped up his blue jacket, and pulled up the sleeves. "I'll find her, someday," he said.

I tried to remember if Ivana had blonde hair, but by then, I had a hard time remembering anything much about that day, except that I wanted Jane to tell me the story again.

* * *

Yo! So, I decided that this would just be a series of thingers, with no real plot line. I made it too complicated. So, think of it as a show. Show finale could come anytime! :O So, way back when, I had(_have_, though not the clothing style) liked the black hair, pale skin, light eyes thing emo kids have (again, not the hair _styles_ or the clothing style, though black does look good...on anything), so I always imagined Con as pale and jet black hair. But, he is no more! he is...basically, MyButterfly's dream description. Check him out on my page. I do admit, he is a drool-worthy kind of person.

Anyways, special thanks to:

broken-pixie: I'm very glad you thought of Malvoro that way! That's _exactly_ the response I was going for :)

MyButterfly364: I wish my imagination was strong enough to make my characters real. And yea, Con is a hero :) Picture I sent you is the picture on my page :)

Review! Review! Review!


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